RoChronicles
by The Twilight Necromancer
Summary: Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f ONGOING.
1. Prologue: It Begins

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** I've been testing other servers since Void decided so 'wisely' to do a wipe, and narrowed them down to the ones I found interesting. (The ones mentioned in the chapter below.) This basically reads like a story, with the possibility of having some VoidRO flashbacks from the characters as it goes. Live the experience with my friends and I as we re-make our characters on each server and go through 'life' on them in the struggle to see which is best. Those that either don't make the grade or are now out of commission meet a terrifying fate...

**RoChronicles**

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**Prologue: It Begins  
**Once there was a world called Rune-Midgard; it was divided into hundreds of different parts, most notably Void, Scythe, RoK (which most referred to affectionately as Ragnarok Kingdom,) and Delusion.

In Rune-Midgard, no one seemed to have anything negative to say about the beautiful towns and fields. Even in the dungeons and areas where monsters were becoming more frequent, there was still somehow a sense of awe and mysterious beauty.

All across the world, everyone had a job to do;. Some were Merchants, others were Alchemists, and there were even Assassins and Snipers. Each person was important to the formation and stability of the community.

Nowhere was there a better example of this sort of teamwork and dedication than in the guild known as The Holy Knights. Its members and their other soul parts enjoyed a comfortable life in the land of Void, where experiences were pleasant and you could find almost anything you needed if you were up to the task.

But one day, a dark cloud fell over Void. Everything that its people had known was suddenly and horrifically shattered, and the Assassin Cross, High Priest, and all of their friends were slaughtered by the dark forces that had been growing in power.

The souls of those lost in Void floated around for a time before they finally found their way through the reincarnation cycle and were born into the other lands of Rune-Midgard.

And that, is where the story truly begins..  
**To Be Continued...**


	2. Shujiri Reborn

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** This chapter comes from my dA friend, SephirothThePure, who said it was okay to add his chapters to my story since essentially we're now doing a collaboration. xD So that means I'll be reversing some of the orders of the chapters that were already posted in order to fit these in. (He'll be tackling most of the battle scenes, since they're my absolute and true weakness, so it's a necessary evil to combine it. Otherwise this story just wouldn't make much sense, since you'd be getting bits and pieces that at times seemed completely out of the blue.)

**RoChronicles**

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**Chapter One: Shujiri Reborn  
**Shujiri floated serenely through the nothingness of the void. He couldn't feel his body. Indeed, it didn't exist any longer.

_Huh. Is this what it's like to die? What happened to Rune-Midgard? Zira..- Where are the others? I don't understand what's going on, but I'm okay with that, I guess.._

A piercing light broke through the emptiness surrounding him, and his body took on form again, outlined by the light. _Are you truly ready to give up so soon, brave warrior?_ A female voice asked from somewhere inside his mind.

In a flash, he was suddenly standing on the ground in the middle of a beautiful garden. Flowers of every color, size and variety, including many he'd never seen before, surrounded him. Their heavenly fragrance scented the air and added to the sense of serenity and unquestionable peace. In the distance, he could see a palace made from the whitest marble he'd ever seen.

Puzzled, Shujiri pushed aside a lock of his dark blue bangs. "Valhalla?"

"Indeed, child."

Turning around, Shujiri saw woman, more beautiful than any he'd ever seen before. Her long flowing hair seemed to levitate slightly, and upon further inspection Shujiri noticed that her whole body was floating. His eyes took in every inch of her body, from her feet up to her face, which he swore he knew. Suddenly he realized who he was in the presence of, and dropped to one knee.

"Milady Freya." he said reverently, bowing his head.

Freya's feet soundlessly touched the ground, and she walked over to him, her footsteps silent as they moved across the supple grass of the garden floor. Gently, she pulled his head up to look at her.

"Honestly, my child. Do you think you need to avert your eyes from me? After all you have done in the service of the gods, you have nothing to fear." Her lilting voice sent waves of soothing calm through his very soul.

"But milady, I'm an Assassin. My hands are_ stained_ with blood. I don't deserve to look at someone as pure as you."

Freya's laughter rang out like a bell across the grounds of the garden. "Don't think me so pure as to avoid taking up the sword myself. I have taken just as many lives, if not many more. When you fought, did you do so for personal gain?"

Shujiri shook his head, his long bangs falling over the left side of his face again. "No, milady. I wield my weapons for the people of Rune-Midgard - for the people I love and care about. My friends, and my guild mates." Shujiri thought a moment, then asked, "Milady, what happened to Rune-Midgard? The last thing I remember, I was fighting off monsters near Morroc and then I was floating in an endless void."

Freya nodded her head sadly. "The Rune-Midgard you speak of has fallen to the forces of evil. Perhaps one day it can be restored it to its former glory. But, it is only one of many such worlds. This is why I have brought you here, Shujiri."

Shujiri stood and tilted his head. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Freya turned to gaze into the center of one of the nearby flowers. "The universe is comprised of many different worlds, all similar, but none identical. These worlds are all known as Rune-Midgard, but to the gods, they are distinguished with other names. The Rune-Midgard you have come from was called Void. As it's name suggests, it was closest to the void at the edge of the universe." She turned back to Shujiri. "It cannot be redeemed at this point, and so I have pulled you from that world and am sending you to a different Rune-Midgard. But I felt I owed at least one of you an explanation."

"One of...?" Shujiri shot her a questioning glance.

"I've moved the souls of many of your comrades, as well. However, most of them will have little to no memory of Void." She smiled mischievously, "In fact, only one smart-mouthed little bird will even remember that Rune-Midgard as Void. At least, to begin with."

Shujiri smiled fondly. He didn't need any other description to know Freya was referring to Pharin, his friend Ghebriel's mouthy homunculus, who had no problem telling everyone and anyone who'd listen exactly what was on his mind. Shujiri looked up at the azure sky.

"Why won't they remember, too?" he asked, confused.

Freya's face became a bit more serious, and the look in her eyes was suddenly guarded - closed off. "There are some things that must remain a secret from even you, brave warrior." she replied, her gaze falling to the flowers once more. As she inspected them, she gathered her thoughts and then continued, saying, "All will become clear to you in time, Shujiri."

After a few moments of silence. Shujiri gathered the courage to ask, "So why pull me out and explain all this to me? Surely there are other stronger and smarter warriors you could entrust with this information."

"Of course there are. And more experienced as well, I assure you." She laid a hand on his shoulder. "But you are honest and devoted to your friends and ideals. You are a born leader. By far, you are the best choice for this."

Shujiri blushed at the unexpected praise.

"Now," Freya clapped her hands together, and a whirlwind started to form around Shujiri, "I am sending you to another Rune-Midgard. You will find a few of your old friends are already there. Some may have changed a bit, and some will look exactly the same." The whirlwind gained intensity, and Shujiri struggled to keep his eyes focused on his guardian deity. "However, few of them will remember more than glimpses of their lives in Void. For some, other memories may return over time. For others, very little will be returned. One thing they will never forget, however, is the friendships you have all forged. Seek them out. They will give you strength, just as you will strengthen them." The whirlwind grew so fierce that Shujiri was forced to close his eyes as the maelstrom tore at his clothing, shredding it. He heard Freya's last words to him echo in his mind.

_You will become stronger than you ever were in Void. Make me proud, my warrior._

Then the world went black.

When he awoke, Shujiri was in the middle of a town he'd never seen before. Spotting a guard, he asked where he was.

"Ah, a new adventurer, eh? Welcome to Divination! We have many amenities for novices, including a job changer, and a training room, where..."

Shujiri gradually tuned the man out as he went on to describe the architecture and history of the city. Glancing down at his clothing, he realized he was a Novice again. He tried recalling his favorite skills and found that none would come to mind. Hanging his head, he decided it was time to start training again.  
**To Be Continued...**


	3. Shujiri Renewed

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** Another chapter from my dA friend, who it should be noted since I didn't mention it last time, plays as Shujiri. (Surprise, surprise.) This goes through him doing the skill quest to reach assassin status. We're actually getting somewhere!

**RoChronicles**

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**Chapter Two: Shujiri Renewed  
**After some time of intense training later, Shujiri held his right hand out and called to the spirits of the world, "**By the power of Freya, transport me to Morroc**!"

The familiar gut-wrenching feeling of being removed from the fabric of the universe, then stitched back into existence at a new location did not bother Shujiri as much as it did so long ago when he first started his training as an Assassin in Void. He glanced around at the devastated desert town, almost completely wiped out after the revival of Satan Morroc. _I've much training to do before I can hope to face him**.**_

Shujiri headed to the north-western exit of the town and made his way towards the oasis outside of the pyramids, which also happened to be the new home for most of the remaining townspeople. Walking through the makeshift homes and shops, Shujiri felt a pang of guilt. Many times had he walked through new Morroc, marveling at the architecture of the old city, and the fortitude of her people. Indeed, he thought of it as his home. Yet when Satan Morroc was revived, he had been no where near the poor city. Though in reality there was nothing he could have done, he felt that if he had been stronger, maybe a few more lives could've been saved.

Quietly, Shujiri entered the pyramids. Inside the labyrinth of walls, he quickly wound his way to the entrance of the Thieves Guild. With quick, ruthless efficiency he completed the meaningless tasks required to join. Mushroom hunting.

How low the mighty had fallen.

Upon regaining his status as High Thief, he headed out into the wild deserts of Morroc that waited for him just south of the town. Training as he went by slaying the many monsters that were so dangerous to travelers, Shujiri soon reached the headquarters of the Assassin's Guild. He entered and made short work of the entrance exams. He decided to have some fun on the final test: the invisible wall maze.

As he had done this test many times in his previous life before ever managing to become an Assassin, he remembered the layout of the walls perfectly. Leaping up to grab the top ledge of one of the invisible walls, Shujiri pulled himself up and stood on his hands, balancing on the wall, which was a mere three inches thick. What a sight one would've been treated to had there been any spectators! A rather flamboyant High Thief walked on his hands six feet in the air with apparently nothing below him. He quickly went directly across the room, bridging gaps when he came to them, and did an aerial back-flip to dismount from the wall upon reaching the other end. The test proctors merely stared at him in utter shock.

Laughing and clapping his hands merrily, the Guild Master appeared from the shadows. "Well done, lad! No idea how you pulled that off, but it was without a doubt the best show I've had in ages! You pass the exam, though technically you're not supposed to even be _able_ to do that."

Shujiri bowed, a little more showman-like than humbly, and accepted the gear presented to him by the Guild Master - a new katar, and the clothing of an Assassin Cross. After changing, Shujiri decided he should start seeking out his friends, then begin training all over again. He would reach the pinnacle of his strength, and then together with his friends, take on Satan Morroc one day.

Stretching out his right hand, now garbed in the Assassin's armor which he took so much pride in, Shujiri called out, "**By the power of Freya, transport me to Geffen**!"

And the world dropped out from under him once more.  
**To Be Continued...**


	4. Missionary Man

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** FIRSTLY: It should be noted that, although Prontera has the church where you become a Priest, we figured that Knights should get that one and Priests could have Rachel. It makes sense; just go with it. xD There isn't any talking in this chapter and the descriptions are practically nil, but I needed to get in the driving forces behind our characters focused before I could do anything with the rest of the story. I want to point out quickly that, to me, cyan is a kind of blue. Some people argue that it's more green, but I disagree. Ehn, whatever floats your boat. However, what sucks about this chapter in particular is that I actually -had- been four-fifths of the way through in the quest to make Ganvantein when Void did the server wipe. Also, there is a mention of a Garm Baby doing bad things, which relates back to one of the preset montalk commands Shujiri put in for it. Last but not least, a quick note about the scythe: I refuse to take out the scythe bit regardless that no other servers have it. I miss my f'ckin' scythe. D8

**RoChronicles**

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**Chapter Three: Missionary Man**  
Zira made for quite an unusual sight to begin with for the little town of Izlude, what with being a High Priest and all. Add onto that the fact that he was not only decked out in a Priest's garb, but carrying a large scythe in one hand, a large, triangular, purple and gold Valkyrie Shield on his back, and a large bag of scrolls and potions hanging from one shoulder, and he just looked down right out of place in the little island town.

Indeed, he got dozens of funny looks from people as he passed by. The people here probably weren't used to seeing a Priest in their midst very often, much less one that looked to be armed for a nuclear winter.

Ah, but it couldn't be helped; one must be stocked up when traveling, and he had quite a trip ahead of him.

Though the long-haired blonde didn't know exactly where his journey was going to lead him in the end, it didn't really matter.

He was going from town to town to be of service to the village residents and the warriors that were fighting to make their world safe for everyone. He, himself, had been saved more than a few times from wolves and orcs when he was just a High Acolyte by a passing Assassin Cross or Taekwan Master, and was more than grateful for their help. Their jobs, and the jobs of all the other classes, were the dangerous ones; his was relatively easy by comparison as far as he was concerned. For the most part, all he had to do was wait on the back lines and keep them alive, which was easier than their task of actually going face to face with the creatures of darkness they fought. That was the reason he was even making these trips at all.

Alright, so that was a half truth. And he'd admit somewhat guiltily that, when necessary, he was getting rather good at using them.

If you could call his bluff, the blonde Priest would admit that his primary reason for setting out on this seemingly saintly mission was to sort out a few of the unusual dreams that had been visiting him ever since he had achieved his status of High Priest a month previous.

Some seemed to be so vague they could only be figments of his sleeping mind's imagination. Those encompassed a wide variety of things, ranging from a Garm Baby trying to do very unsavory things to his leg (much to the amusement of the blurry figure that must have owned it,) to breezing across the fields of Geffen with the help of his beautiful blue-tinted white wings in search of..what? He never found out, but he could vaguely remember that it had something to do with the shards he remembered seeing himself place in a small bag at his hip for safe keeping. Ganvantein Shards, they had been called?

Then there were the dreams that were so real - nightmares, usually - where he could practically feel the blood of his loved ones staining his hands and hear the screams of innocent lives cut short before their time as he stood helpless to console them or lessen their pain. They were so terrifying, so realistic, that no matter how quickly he recognized his surroundings after waking himself up with his own screams, he always found himself breaking down into tears that would usually stay with him through the rest of the then-sleepless night.

A few times, they had occurred while he was still in the last leg of his time at the church in Rachel, and regardless of the kind murmured whisperings of reassurance and the presence of his peers who would come check on him to see what the commotion was over, nothing seemed to calm his heartbeat or quell the residual fear that quaked through his veins. Worst of all would be the ensuing feeling of guilt, which was so overwhelming at times that it threatened to drown out every moment of happiness and laughter he had ever experienced until it consumed him to the core. It was a feeling of failure, but for what?

Although questionable and amusing at times, and horrifying and sickening at others, those dreams had to mean something of some importance; they all had some kind of connective thread, even if they didn't seem to play out in any particular order. He could recognize himself in some of them, although his hair was styled differently, and he felt some inexplicable pull toward the others that made appearances in them.

Even the Bishop, himself, had taken him aside at one point and had spoken with him about them, and after a couple of hours of consideration and careful listening, they had determined that they were messages being sent to him. Neither of them knew why, but it had become clear that they shouldn't be ignored. Were they omens of the future, and they were being used to warn of impending tragedy? Or were they memories from before Zira's time in Rachel, Prontera, and the abbey - perhaps even from another lifetime, just whispers and ghosts of a past that refused to die quietly?

Either way, once his training was complete, the kind older man finally decided to send Zira on his way under the condition that he try to look further into the possible meanings of his dreams as he went along.

Curing a Blind or Silenced man here and there, tapping into his spiritual connections to the gods and Resurrecting another somewhere else, and basically following the principles and morals taught to his class, Zira was still making little progress in figuring out what those ghastly visions meant. The only thing he had to go by was from his last nightmare.

He had been on his way to collect the items required for another of the shards necessary to create what someone in it had told him was called Ganvantein for one of his traveling companions (their form was always just as blurred as everyone else's, until he could distinguish no particular features of the man other than a High Wizard's garb) when the sky grew overcast and a terrible, booming cackle filled his ears. Having awoken soon after this, he wasn't sure who his dream self had been going to see, much less if he'd ever made it there.

The fair-skinned, cyan-eyed man had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that what he'd seen before he woke up left little room for whatever bleak hope there might have otherwise been. Being faced by Satan Morroc, who was accompanied by a large number of other horrifically powerful monsters, would probably be the last thing anyone saw.

Thus, the thin High Priest was on his way to Geffen, hoping to find some clue as to where in the dungeons, town, or fields he needed to look in order to find the man he had likely been searching for in his dream. He didn't hold any specific expectations for what he would find there, but it was at least a place to start, and if you didn't start somewhere and eliminate the possibilities, you would never get anywhere.  
**To Be Continued...**


	5. The Team Reformed Part 1

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** Another chapter by "Shujiri," this time featuring step one of the reunion of the Void cast in their RoK lives. He's incorporated both his Assassin Cross and Whitesmith/Alchemist-slash-Creator characters in this along with Zira, so we get to see the interactions start up.

**RoChronicles**

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**Chapter Four: The Team Reformed (Part 1)**  
Shujiri flashed into existence in the town square of Geffen, The City of Mages; the only city more well-known for it's magic users and wealth of knowledge was Yuno, but Shujiri was certain he wouldn't find the man he was looking for there. After all, what need would a High Priest have with Yuno? But Shujiri had a hunch that he could find the apprehensive young man here, where they sold the one thing the Priest just couldn't do without.

Zira inspected the blue gemstones he was about to buy carefully. It wasn't that he didn't trust the salesman, but he found it was always better to be cautious when your very life (or, more particularly, the life of another) rested in how well a certain gem performed the necessary magic. These gems were used for just about everything the Priest used on a daily basis - his Resurrection spell and his Warp Portal spell (though there seemed to be little need for that particular spell in Rune-Midgard, since he could speak his destination and the world itself warped him there.) He vaguely remembered a time when he actually had to use that spell, but couldn't pull the details out of his foggy memory...

"I figured I'd find you here." came a voice from the doorway.

Zira was barely able to turn to look at the door before being bowled over by a flying tackle.

"Zira! You've no _idea_ how much I've missed ye! Training's no fun without you to pick on!" The strange man grabbed in blue clothing that almost perfectly matched his blue hair wrapped one arm around the High Priest's shoulders...and started to give Zira a noogie.

"OW! MY HAIR! Knock it off, Shujiri!"

Zira froze, stunned, as the man let go of him, laughing. "Please tell me your name isn't Shujiri."

"Well of course it is, Zira. You losing it, or...? Oh, right. The rebirth thing." Shujiri scratched his head and looked sideways at Zira. "I guess that was a bit weird for you, being tackled by someone you don't remember." He gave a sheepish grin.

"Well..slightly, yes. But the weirdest part of it," Zira adjusted his hair back to its pre-noogie state, "Is how in the name of Freya did I know your name?" While he was sure he'd never met this man, he had the strangest sensation of comfortable familiarity - like he'd known him for most of his life, and shared some of his fondest memories with him.

Shujiri sighed. "Well, long story short, we've been pals forever. But I'll explain that more later. We've got some other stops to make. I'd rather only explain myself once, and we've got several more people to pick up before I go over this. If you trust me, and want to find out about our past, then come with me." He extended his hand as a symbol of his offering.

Warily, Zira held out his own, eying the muscular man suspiciously. They shook, and he turned to grab his scythe from where he had let it rest against the wall. This Assassin, garbed in dark blue and black, was so familiar, and yet strange to him. And he was offering what Zira had set out to find in the first place. With a sigh, he grabbed the gems, paid the shop manager, and turned to the other man.

"Alright, lead the way. But I'm warning you: if you try to screw me over, I'll blast you with Holy Light so hard you'll think it's the Ragnarok. We clear?"

Shujiri grinned broadly. "As crystal, and you have no idea how right you are about that. Let's go." And with that he strode out the door, the High Priest following close behind.

_**Elsewhere..**_

Alex sat in the shade of one of the many shops in Alberta. The port town was the center of trade in Rune-Midgard, and although he had been a Mastersmith for a while, he was still a true Merchant at heart. The sea breeze blew in across the port, and he relished the comforting salty smell.

Business had been slow lately (which obviously had nothing to do with the fact that he was spending more time lazing about than doing anything constructive.) So when the unlikely pair of travelers walked up to him and started browsing through his wares, he welcomed the change of pace.

"Welcome, take a look, I don't have much, but it's all very reasonably priced." _A little too reasonably priced, but what else can I do?_ he thought, _I don't have any rare items to compete with the other Merchants, so I have to set the lowest prices to draw customers._

"A little too reasonably priced, don't you think?" The Assassin Cross in dark blue asked. "Then again, what else can you do? No rarities to compete with the others, right?" The man grinned broadly.

Alex gaped. "What are you, a mind reader?"

The Assassin burst out laughing. It was such a deep belly laugh you'd think the man was three times his size. "Smith, you always were complaining about not having enough rare items and so you ended up selling yourself short. You haven't changed a bit, even if you do look different."

"I'm sorry, but you must have the wrong person. My name is Alex, not Smith."

The built male crossed his arms and looked at him searchingly. "You haven't progressed very far in your chosen field. You feel more at home out here amongst the Merchants than you do in the smithing districts, don't you?"

Alex felt a little ill at ease. This stranger was right on the money, as if he could see right into his soul.

"You hoard items in your cart until it's close to bursting, and then mass sell them at quite a nice profit to yourself. You keep only what is necessary for whatever your current pet project is, or whatever you think might be useful in the future." He took a breath. "How am I doing so far? Should I continue?"

"No, no, that's quite alright. Who _are_ you?"

The Assassin smiled and held out his hand. "The name's Shujiri, and in a previous life, you and I were business partners." Shujiri smiled broadly as Alex accepted the handshake, and was pulled to his feet. "Tell ya what. You come with us, and help us out - whether it be carrying stuff in your cart, or selling things for a profit, or using that lovely axe on your back to split a few heads here and there - and I'll let you have your pick of all my loot. Not to mention, it'll be a lot more interesting than sitting here and doing nothing."

Alex looked beyond Shujiri to the man accompanying him. "Your friend don't say much, does he?"

The Priest shook his head as if awaking from a stupor. "Oh, I'm sorry; I'm still a little new at hearing everything he has to say, myself. He wasn't kidding when he said he knew us." The blonde man cleared his throat. "I'm Zira Vinova, High Priest of the Churches of Freya in Rachel and Prontera. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Zira said as he bowed humbly.

Shujiri clapped Alex and Zira on the back, making the former stagger a few paces and nearly sending the latter face-first onto the ground. "Now that introductions are over, it's time to be moving on." Shujiri started to walk off, while Alex and Zira stood there for a moment.

"Um, I never said I'd go with you." Alex said to Shujiri's back. "And why would you want me to come with anyway? I wouldn't be much help."

Shujiri stopped and turned, the setting sun silhouetting him just slightly, the last rays of the sun glinting off the silver armour plating on his arms and legs. With a somber smile, he said, "Because life's no fun without friends." With this, he turned and started walking again.

With a small smile, the blonde High Priest followed him, knowing without a doubt that this man would lead him to the answers he sought.

Alex stood there for a moment, pondering.

"Friends, huh?" Alex looked up into the rusty clouds of the dusk sky and smiled. "That doesn't sound too bad, I guess, does it?" And with that he ran after his new companions.  
**To Be Continued...**


	6. O'er the Field He Goes

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** Not long before the wipe I sent my High Wizard, Jeliel, to Lutie Field to test his maxed out powers and levels against Garm. Afterwords, I took him back to Lutie to talk to some of my friends from the Avalanche Guild (spoot, Mikayo, Avalis, and HulkSMASH to be specific; ignore the fact that the only character on my male account actually in that guild was my Sin-X, Ghoule). Ahh, those were the fun times...Which reminds me, I'm adding some people later. Sorry, guys; I'd ask permission, but I can't find you to do that. DX

**RoChronicles**

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**Chapter Five: O'er the Field He Goes**  
With the sun's beautiful haze shining down from overhead between the patches of clouds, it would have been an absolutely beautiful day in Lutie Field, had it not been snowing non-stop with the fury of the gods enraged for the past five hours.

Simply put, Jeliel Damasqus was a less than thrilled High Wizard at the moment.

Traveling alone for the last few days, and still with no town in sight, he was running low on food and potions. The warmest place in sight that he could sleep in was the cave that the huge, vicious ice wolf, Garm, and her pups inhabited. And, knowing that a mother Garm was a deadly Garm, he would like to avoid that encounter altogether and just take his chances in the snow storm.

Currently, his main problem (although perhaps it was more of an annoyance) was that his cloak and the rest of his clothes were soaking in the snow as it melted under what remained of his body heat, which wasn't helping his mood or his health in the least. Although he was no healer or Priest, he knew that if he didn't reach the town of Lutie soon, then when someone found him, he would look as if he'd cast Cold Bolt on himself a few times over. (And he had met some unfortunate, idiotic soul who had done just that, once.)

Grumbling in his agitation, he held his hand out toward the dwindling fire in front of him (it was a chore just to have started it up, much less to keep it going) and cast a small Fire Ball, strengthening the flame a bit with some of the last reserves of his exhaustion-depleted magic.

"A smart move this was, trying to make it to town through this kind of weather." mumbled Jeliel softly, curling into an even tighter bundle, arms wrapped around himself.

A particularly strong gust of wind surged, and the top hat on the Wizard's head lifted and began to sail away, only to be caught in the ponytailed man's gloved hand before it could get too far out of his reach. "No fair abandoning ship unless you take me with you," he sighed quietly, staring at it before placing it back on his head.

Okay, now he knew he was in sore shape; when you started talking to your clothes, it was time to call it quits.

Unfortunately, Jeliel wasn't necessarily a particularly cooperative individual, and he blatantly refused to let the weather get the better of him. (He recited this like a mantra in his mind, over and over again through the whole journey thus far, pointedly ignoring the numbness in his fingers, toes, nose, and pointed ears.)

Really, he had no idea why he had wanted to go to Lutie in the first place. It wasn't as though he knew anyone there, and there certainly wasn't anything there to be bought that he couldn't get in the comfort of his own home town. In truth, his first thoughts had been to go to Niflheim. However, further reflection upon that prospect had only served to aggravate him, and so he had abandoned that idea altogether. (He had made the executive decision that, as long as there was still air in his lungs, he would never step foot in that terrible place for as long as he lived.)

Although it had only been a passing whim at first, the more he practiced with his various fields of magic, the stronger the urge to go to Lutie had become. Not only that, but the more he watched his Wizardry compatriots play around in experimenting with their growing power, the more powerful his urge to make that long, arduous trip became. It felt almost as if he didn't belong in the city of learning.

Things continued this way for a few weeks until he finally mastered all the teachings his mentors had to offer, and it was at that point that he found himself already through the gates and on the bridge that would take him on the first steps towards Lutie.

To be perfectly honest, he hadn't realized he was even trying to leave Yuno until he had passed the guide, and by then his feet seemed bound and determined to prevent him from turning back. So, the blue-green-eyed male did the only sensible thing one could do in that position: he kept walking.

Five towns, an air-headed Biochemist and his abrasive Filir, a mellow Stalker, a bitchy High Priestess, and a trigger-happy Gunslinger later, he was seemingly lost in the only field between him and his destination. Now, all he had to do was keep from freezing to death and hope for the winter storm to break (if only for a while,) and he could be on his way.

If, that is, he could figure out which way he was supposed to go. When everything was a canvas of white, and as the sun began to set over the distance, it was difficult to tell which direction he had come from and which one he needed to head in.

Ah, well; what didn't kill you only made you stronger. He wasn't sure where he'd heard that phrase, but it certainly seemed to hold true, and he was going to stick with its teachings.

He'd just have to brave out the storm until the fury of the blizzard died down a bit. Whatever compelled him to make the trip assured him that, somewhere, just beyond the mist and haze that was beginning to set in with the fall of night, his destination would prove to have been well worth it.  
**To Be Continued...**


	7. The Team Reformed Part 2

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** This is one of the longer ones, and was written by Shuji. I kind of like how he portrayed my High Wizard, albeit I don't remember him being -quite- so fussy. He's a bit of a gentleman when it gets down to it; like an aristocrat in a modern body, but God above does he have a bad mouth and a bad temper when things aren't going very well. xD And, lastly, as far as Zira cussing is concerned - it just amused me that it's a naughty thing for priests to do, yet he was my most foul-mouthed character on -ANY- server I went to.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Team Reformed (Part 2)**  
After some time of waiting for the storm to subside, a break in the weather seemed unlikely. Having spent two nights fighting the sinking feeling that he was stranded for longer than he would be physically able to hold out, Jeliel felt the cold seep deeper still into his body as his senses had slowly begun to fade away.

_Guess this is the end..._

The white light of the blizzard was suddenly blotted out by the shadowy black figure of a man standing over him, holding his cloak spread wide to block the worst of the wind and snow, as Jeliel faded into unconsciousness.

Shujiri knelt down and covered Jeliel with his cloak. "HEY! Don't pass out on me now! Damnit...Zira, help me get him conscious! Alex, get a shelter set up and then try to get that fire going again. If we don't hurry, he's gonna die!"

Alex tromped quickly through the snow, his cart coming up behind him on treads. "Got it!" He dug out the tent out of their cart and then dug through the cart once again for firewood.

Zira knelt beside the High Wizard, ignoring the bitter cold that nipped at the group's skin and somehow managed to sink through their clothing, and began casting his Healing spell while Alex and Shujiri set up the temporary shelter of the tent. Once the tent was ready, Shujiri stood watch Alex try to start the fire.

Zira turned to Alex, calling out. "Hurry with that fire; if his magic weren't so sapped, it could latch onto my healing spell and weave into it until he was strong enough to rouse himself and he'd be out of danger by now. He must have been out here for quite a while already for it to be so drained - I can barely sense _any_ of it. He needs heat as much as he does Healing at this point!"

Alex looked up dejectedly. "It's too cold here; I can't get a proper flame to catch!"

The built male jumped back as Shujiri's arm came crashing down into the center of the pile of fire wood. There was a slight crackling, and then the wood burst into flames. Alex glanced up at Shujiri as he jumped around cursing and blowing on his hand. "DAMN THAT'S HOT!"

"How did you do that?" asked Alex incredulously.

Shujiri glanced over, then raised the hand he'd stuck into the fire wood. The katar he held gave off a faint red glow in the semi-darkness of the tent. "Katar of Raging Blaze. Fire element. I didn't actually think it would work, but it was worth a try. And, hey, what do you know." This last sentence was said slightly sarcastically as he cradled the singed hand.

Zira stood up and walked over, holding his hands around Shujiri's injured one. He chanted a quick, simple Heal and said quickly made his way back to Jeliel. His healing abilities had done all they could for the moment, so he settled for simply providing as much body heat and protection from the wind and snow as possible until Shujiri and Alex helped to haul the slightly larger man to the tent and the fire. "You should think things through more carefully." he called back, his tone gentle but scolding.

Shujiri chuckled, hurrying to grab Jeliel. "Zira: ever the voice of reason. How many times have you stopped me from doing something stupid 'cause I'm too impulsive?"

Zira glanced at him. "And how many times have I probably had to Resurrect your sorry arse because you took on a monster four times your skill level?"

Shujiri gave a chastised grin.

Jeliel groaned slightly, feeling a bit more alert now that his body was healed and warmed a bit so that his magic could focus on building to add to his strength. "Keep it down; I've got a splitting headache."

Zira glanced down, a gentle smile on his face. "Oh, that might be from the kick to the head."

"What kick?"

Zira's booted foot connected with Jeliel's temple.

"OW! What the fuck?"

"You should be more considerate of your rescuers." Zira chided him as Shujiri and Alex set him down by the fire.

"You shouldn't be kicking the guy who almost died!" Jeliel retorted.

"And whose fault was that for not coming prepared, Jeliel?" Shujiri asked. "You used to be so much better at planning ahead."

"How the Helheim do you know my name?" Jeliel muttered.

An ear-piercing roar shook the tent. Everyone in the tent fell silent. "What was that?" Alex asked.

"You woke momma wolf." responded the teal-eyed man, holding his head. "We're as good as dead."

Shujiri grinned maliciously. Seeing this, Zira looked at him and sighed. "Is there any fight you won't pick?"

"Haven't found one yet." Shujiri responded as he bounded out of the tent, the High Priest following him closely. "Alex, hang out with Jeliel and help him get his strength back. Zira and I will take care of Garm."

Jeliel started to sit up, but immediately fell back to the ground in pain as his thawing joints protested the sudden movement. "He's going to die. And I'm going to laugh."

Alex chuckled. "He may joke around, but when it comes to battles, I've never seen anyone more focused. He's...Well, it's like he's been fighting for centuries, though he says he's only been here for a few months."

Jeliel snorted his derision and turned to look at the tent flap that had just been vacated. "Maybe if we're lucky, she'll get enough meat from their bones to feed her pups and ignore us. Although, with as scrawny as that Priest is, maybe she'll just use him to pick their teeth clean.."

_**Meanwhile..**_

Shujiri walked a few paces away from the tent. The blizzard which had been whipping around them in a frenzy when they found Jeliel had finally (and ironically, Shujiri mused inwardly,) died down to a mere dusting. In the distance he could see the dark, icy form of the giant ice wolf bounding toward them, her pups in tow.

"How many you think, not counting mother dearest?" Shujiri asked.

Zira glanced over, not stopping his incantation until the protective barrier of Kyrie Eleison surrounded both of them. "Maybe eight? Including the one riding on her head, nine."

Shujiri looked again. "I'll be damned; I missed that one. Huh..." He quickly took off the katar he had used to start the fire in the tent and switched to another set. The snow that had been falling around his arms started swirling unnaturally around the blades of the katar before falling to the ground.

Zira pointed at the blades as he completed the use of Increase Agility on his Assassin Cross friend. "Wind element?"

"Yup. Katar of Piercing Wind. It creates a vacuum around the blades. Now, let's go!"

They quickly closed the distance to the massive blue wolf. Once in range, Shujiri flicked his wrist and sent a toxic dagger flying. The dagger buried itself to the hilt between the eyes of the Garm Baby riding atop its mother's head. It fell to the ground, twitching as the toxins flooded its brain. It was dead within moments. The mother glanced at its fallen child and let out a blood-curdling roar. Shujiri didn't so much as flinch.

"Nice shot!" Zira shouted, feeling a bit bad for the pup. "Think you can do that to the big one?"

"Are you kidding? I couldn't pull that off again if I tried!" Shujiri laughed as he leaped several feet into the air above the wolf pack.

Shujiri twirled around in midair so his head was pointed at the wolves. "_Meteor Strike_!" he cried as he crashed into the ground amidst the pack. A massive shock wave crashed into the wolves, wounding each of them, and knocking two of the babies for a loop and stunning them. While they were dazed, Shujiri dashed over to one of them and slit its throat while it was defenseless. As its life escaped its body the icy creature crumbled into a million pieces.

With a fearsome roar Garm summoned her powers and created a massive blizzard around the adventurers. The Storm Gust blew ferociously as millions of shards of ice were driven painfully into their bodies, and in some cases through. Shujiri blocked many of them, and Zira had already thrown a couple Heal spells on each of them before the storm had even subsided. Regardless, it threw them off their feet a few times.

A prepubescent growl came from behind him and Shujiri turned just in time to see the head of the Garm Baby that was about to take a chunk out of him explode in a flash of celestial light. He glanced over at Zira who had already cast Holy Light again at the last stunned Garm Baby, finishing it off as well.

"Four down, five and a big one to go. Thanks for that, by the way!" Shujiri called cheerfully.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Zira asked, somewhat incredulous.

"When isn't it fun to put your life on the line in a battle of ski- oof!" He grunted, as Garm's massive paw sent him tumbling through the snow and through a nearby tree. A small avalanche of snow buried him as the tree shattered into toothpick sized shards from the force of the blow.

"Damnit!" Zira cursed as he fought to fend off the baby wolves while running to help his friend.

With the cast of a single Heal at the spot Shujiri had landed, the pile of snow exploded as a blade of dark blue energy rushed toward the Garm Baby nearest Zira, and passed through it. The little blue wolf crumbled into chunks of lifeless ice as the Soul Breaker technique cut its soul in two. Shujiri flew at the next one and flipped over it onto its back, digging both his katars into the back of its neck, at the base of the skull. With a quick sideways jerk of both arms, the pup's head was severed from its body, which then broke down into pieces.

Shujiri stood over the remains of the Garm baby. "Alright," He growled, "Now I'm pissed." He yanked a dagger sized shard of wood out of his right shoulder. Blood oozed down his chest, staining his blue armour purple.

Suddenly, Shujiri vanished. The 3 remaining pups looked confused for a moment but quickly shifted their attention to Zira. Startled, the High Priest fell back a few paces and cursed the knowledge that his magic had been half-way drained so quickly.

Garm wasn't so easily fooled. She easily tracked Shujiri's movements, but could not get to him fast enough to stop what happened next. Shujiri battered the pup in the rear of the group with Grimtooth, sending hundreds of spikes shooting out of the ground underneath it, impaling it in multiple directions. It was dead before it realized what was happening.

That done, he reappeared directly behind the Garm Baby that was a moment away from digging its teeth into Zira's shoulder and knocked him back with a quick apology. Now that his friend was out of harm's way, he hit the pup with a Sonic Blow barrage, stabbing the wolf baby hundreds of times before causing its body to shatter with one massive swing of his arm. Without pausing he flipped over backwards and drove his katar down into the skull of the final Garm Baby. It crumbed into a lifeless heap of ice cubes.

With a howling wail Garm unleashed her fury on them. While multiple Storm Gusts battered their bodies, Shujiri did all he could to block her fangs and claws. Zira cast Kyrie Eleison again, and started throwing Holy Light at her as fast as he could, but she shrugged the blasts off.

"Whatever I do doesn't seem to be affecting her very much!" Zira shouted over the gale force wind and snow, regretting it immediately as the breath was stolen from his lungs. He ducked under one of Garm's massive paws.

Shujiri didn't bother responding. He knew they were running out of time and energy, and although the speed with which they were tiring alarmed him, he had no time to waste dwelling on the matter. He leaped up at Garm, straight into the heart of the storms. Utilizing his exceptional speed, he performed ten massive slashing arcs, attacking her in ten different places almost simultaneously.

With a shudder, the mother wolf fell to her knees, panting and growling. Shujiri walked over to her head and looked down at her. Her head was twice the size of his body, yet she had never felt so insignificant. Despite this, and ignoring the fact that she no longer had the strength to move, she still snapped her ferocious jaws and growled darkly as he approached.

"You know, if you would've just let us be, we would've done the same for you." Shujiri said, glaring. His blue hair fell over the left side of his face again. He brushed it aside and sighed. He raised his fist to drive the katar into her skull. Garm closed her eyes resignedly, a single tear escaping her frozen eyelids to mourn her fallen cubs. Zira turned away, unable to watch the scene any longer.

Shujiri hesitated, then slowly lowered his arm, blood still pouring from the wound. "Zira, Heal her." He quickly wrapped his shoulder with some bandages then made his way over to one of the fallen pups.

_What is the point of living without my pups? You may as well finish me off._ Garm's voice filled their minds. _If you don't,_ her voice took on a threatening tone, _I'll be sure to hunt you to the ends of the earth._

"You're welcome to try, but I'll just beat you again."

"But you won't have to worry about it. You're not going to live without your pups."

Garm sat up as soon as Zira had fully Healed her. The sudden movement made the blonde flit away from her on his Hierarchy Wings, mindful of what she was capable of. _What are you talking about, human child?_

Instead of responding, Shujiri pulled out one of his few precious Yggdrasil Leaves and revived one of the pups. "Zira, use your Resurrection spell and help me." The two of them went walking around Resurrecting all nine pups. The pups shied away from Zira and Shujiri and nuzzled their mother. Garm watched the adventurers as they started to walk away.

_Why would you do this?_ she called out after them.

Shujiri stopped and turned. "Because I never raise my blades for my own gain - only for the benefit of others. Today my blades defended my friends. Once that was accomplished, there was no need to wield them anymore. Why kill needlessly? And I don't think you're going to attack people without being provoked, so why do any further harm?"

Garm pondered this for a moment, then almost seemed to smile. The effect was still frightening, but it held much less venom and malice than it had previously. _You are strange humans. I think we could very well live in harmony with the humans, were they all like you._ She nudged one of her pups towards the adventurers - the smallest one, who had been riding atop her head earlier. Though it had been healed, there was still a scar on its forehead where Shujiri's dagger had done its work. _I ask you to take one of my children with you. Perhaps he can learn from you how to coexist with humans. Then maybe the world will be a better place for the next generation of my family._

The pup whined and huddled against its mother. She nudged it along. It grudgingly walked over to Shujiri, looked up at him, and promptly bit his leg. Zira and Garm jumped, while Shujiri fought to keep from yelping.

Garm let out a quick bark at it, and the pup released its grip, then looked up at Shujiri.

Shujiri chuckled and rubbed his leg, noting that the Priest was still snickering at him a bit. "I guess I deserved that." He looked up at Garm. "What's his name?"

_Feel free to call him what you want - our names would be meaningless to you. He will answer only to you, though I'm sure he will do all he can to get along with the rest of your group._ Garm gave the pup a quick warning glare.

Shujiri rubbed his chin. "Hmm...How about Tyr?" He leaned down and patted the top of the pup's head.

Garm chuckled slightly. _A rather ironic name, but a good one._

"Tyr it is, then." Shujiri stood. He looked down at the pup who now stood by his side. "Welcome to the family, Tyr."

Tyr looked over and saw for the first time, he really took a moment to note the man's companion. He walked over to Zira and looked up at him. Zira looked down, smiling. A heart appeared over Tyr's head and he took the opportunity to vigorously hump Zira's leg.

"Gah! GET HIM OFF!" Zira shouted, and started shaking his leg as hard as he could, only making Tyr more excited.

Shujiri began laughing as he walked back to the tent. "I guess he thinks you look like a girl, Zira." laughed the Assassin jovially. Zira managed to get his leg free and made a break for the tent, forgetting the wings on his back, as Tyr bounded along happily behind him.

Garm smiled to herself and herded the rest of her pups back to their den. _Perhaps they really can change this world for the better. If they can find it in their hearts to care about creatures like us, maybe they can teach the rest of the world, too._ She laid down to rest with her pups as the laughs of the adventurers and the playful barks of her wayward pup faded into the distance.  
**To Be Continued...**


	8. Commotion in Comodo Part 1

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** This time around we get to meet Dmitri, my Stalker, and Sahari Bella, one of my friends (Riley; online daughter)'s characters. (Both also originally from Void.) Slowly but surely the plot is forming bit by bit.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Commotion in Comodo (Part 1)  
**Sitting back on the warm sands of Comodo, which its neighbors referred to as "That Beach Town Over Yonder," Dmitri sighed to himself. The warm breeze was blowing, bringing with it the distinctive smell of the sea and blowing his pale sea foam green hair back behind him.

He was truly enjoying himself as he sat there, watching the sun as it sank lower over the horizon to allow some of the night's first rays to permeate the sky in its place. Really, this was a wonderfully relaxing place to be when something was bothering you, and the list of problems gnawing at the young, long-haired male's mind was a long one. The most pressing of which was why something seemed to be missing. Though he couldn't quite explain it, for as far back as he could remember, he'd had the feeling that he should be doing something of extreme importance - but could never figure out what.

When he had gotten old enough to choose an occupation and set out into the world on his own, he'd made a beeline for this relaxing little town, and with no recollection of even knowing it existed, he was quite surprised when he turned up at the doorstep of the studio. Since the discovery of his uncertainty toward his circumstances, the town had been graciously playing host to him.

Mostly, though, it was the young Dancers and Gypsies that called the island their home that had spoken up for his allowance to use their studio as his temporary home. He supposed he owed them his thanks, and that he owed their interest in his plight to his appearance. (In the short time he'd been there, almost everyone seemed to have taken an interest in either the incubus-like horns on his head or his elven-like ears.)

By large that seemed to be the case for some of them, for they would scarcely let him leave their sight before tugging on one of the two attachments, both of which were a somewhat painful experience for the poor man.

Now the light green-eyed male sat at the beach's edge, his feet just scarce inches from where the small waves were lapping at the shore's edge, pondering what his next move should be. Or, rather, his first. Really, he hadn't been too active apart from playing with the children of the village and watching some of the sessions the Dancers performed in. (Alright, he would admit with a small blush if pressed on the matter, so he had taken a few of the girls up on their offer to teach him some of their dance moves. It was something to pass the time with, and since he didn't know much about what he was supposed to be doing, he had a lot of that on his hands to dispose of.)

A soft voice calling to him from a small distance behind him brought Dmitri's attention back to the world around him. He jumped in surprise at the interruption, but turned to face the speaker anyway.

"Hey Sahari." Dmitri said with a smile, waving back at her as the young girl raced up to him.

Although she had worked her way up to Assassin Cross quickly, the young auburn-haired girl still retained a bit of her child-like innocence, and at times, the attitude that accompanied it. She was playful and strong, but still had a ways to go before she would be able to tackle the big guys. (Then again, mused the Stalker, so did he.) Regardless, she treated him like a father, and in return she became like a daughter to him.

Like him, she didn't have much of a memory as to why she had come to Comodo. It seemed as though there should have been something else to the paths they had taken to reach the plateau they were at in their lives, but that didn't make sense..did it? At times, though, she would speak in confidentiality with the horned male and tell him of dreams that she had now and then, and the spooky thing was that he could also recall having those vivid dreams. Sometimes they even seemed to be direct mirrors of each other's, and although the people in them seemed to be no one they actually knew, they were all so familiar. It was a confusing mess, all in all, and they usually dropped the conversation in favour of avoiding the headaches they caused.

Coming to a stop in just behind the sitting form of her friend and father figure, Sahari grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet, eyes wide.

The air of familiarity and relaxation was quickly replaced by one of anxiety and haste as Dmitri read the expression on the red-clad female's face, and he allowed himself to be pulled along at a pace that was quickly getting faster and faster the more they ran.

After a moment, he called to her, "What's the emergency?"

She shot him a look over her shoulder, frowning. "There's some kind of commotion in town; one of the elders said to come and get you to help me see what it is!"

Dmitri gave her a puzzled look in response, but received no further clarification. Obviously, she didn't know anymore than he did on the matter. They would just have to find out what it was together when they arrived.  
**To Be Continued...**


	9. Commotion in Comodo Part 2

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** Just because I like it, the tune is Rose of Sharon, from Veins field. Also, I'm a terrible High Priest...I can't remember if it's Blessing or Recover that cures the stone curse, so I went with Blessing. It's been a while since I had to use it, y'see. Finally, I know you only need to equip one gun to your Gunslinger to get 'em to use Desperado. Since it looks like there are two, however, I'm calling it two. I intend to make a reference to the song of that name later on. I'd also like to note that my High Priestess, named Zire, has been replaced with the High Priestess, Lady Lana. It just works out better that way given the way we have things set up later on.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Commotion in Comodo (Part 2)**  
Jackel Vane, Gunslinger extraordinaire, had not been expecting an encounter with a mouthy High Wizard a few towns back to result in him lugging around a High Priestess who called herself Lady Lana (pretty though she was, he'd admit.) He also hadn't expected their travels to take him to a tiny beach town. Given the above information, then he obviously had not expected to be attacked by at least three dozen Medusa monsters that had been drawn out of the cave near the town by their less than peaceful arrival.

"_Heal_!" the blonde Priestess shouted, her palm aimed toward the dirty blonde gunman at her side.

"'T least this makes fer decent target practice, right?" Jackel called to her. Pointing a revolver out ahead of him at the approaching Medusa, he fired off a round of bullets that toppled the feminine form off of her perch on the large turtle's back and to the sands beneath their feet, where she erupted into small spasms of twitching snakes and limbs, and then vanished.

Lana rolled her bright blue eyes. "You and your guns; that's all you think about!" she retorted, throwing another Healing spell at her partner before casting Magnus Exorcismus at their feet. The three Medusas that had been edging closer to them cried out in pain, shrieks almost as terrifying as a Banshee, as the holy power behind the spell assaulted their beings. Only a few moments later, they fell to the ground and joined their fallen kin. "You shouldn't think so little of something else's life!"

"Aww, right. 'Cause they think so much'a ours they only wanna catch us so's they c'n force us to a tea party."

Another round of bullets, and two more Medusas fell.

"I didn't say you shouldn't 'pop a cap' or whatever it is you call it; I just said you should take them more seriously!"

Two Holy Light batches, and down went another Medusa.

Honey stared intensely at the mint-green-clad priestess, and a moment later Jackel's laughter filled the area around them. Even a few Medusas stopped in their tracks and exchanged a look of confusion at his sudden outburst.

"What?" Lana growled, blushing. "What's so funny? What is it?"

Jackel's laughter slowly tapered off and he replaced one gun into its holster long enough to slap the woman on the back. "Aw, Magni, that's great. Say it 'gain; c'mon, say it 'gain!"

Lana spluttered angrily for a moment, but finally found the words to reply. "No! I won't say it again; what was so funny about it in the first place? And will you pay attention?" With a quick glance over his shoulder, Lana shouted a loud "_HOLY LIGHT_!" that obliterated the Medusa sneaking up behind the Gunslinger. "This isn't the time to make fun of me!"

Sighing, Jackel turned back to face the Medusa advancing on them and stopped. When had the number grown from the twenty-some they'd knocked it down to, back to almost forty?

The slap to the back of his head wasn't quite as surprising as this realization, but it came none-the-less. It was followed by Lana's "I told you so" tone of voice saying, "This is what we get for you slacking off!"

Pulling his second gun back out of its holster, Jackel inspected the wall of Medusas that surrounded them as he and the woman moved slowly to stand with their backs to each other, hoping to avoid any further nasty surprises. Once he had made a rough estimate of how many they were facing, he glanced to the Priestess and asked, "Cain't ya jes' cast another ME?"

Glaring at the feisty male behind her in response, Lana shook her head. The blue crystals at the end of the earrings dangling from her long elven ears jingled softly from the action. "I'm out of blue gemstones; I can't do anything that requires them - not even Resurrecting you if we die."

"'S great. So in other words, we're done screwed."

"You have such a dirty mind."

He sighed aloud, loading more bullets into his guns. "Sucks bein' squishy, don't it?"

Before either could say another word, a loud outcry of "_STORM GUST_!" broke their conversation.

From the beautiful sunset-hued sky, a large, threatening cloud formed overhead and unleashed the fury of winter upon the monsters closest to Jackel and Lana. Although the monsters caught in it were thrown around and either frozen or killed altogether, the two blondes were completely untouched.

"Where did that come from?" Lana mumbled, wide-eyed.

Jackel watched in awe and confusion as the storm dissipated, mouth agape. At length, he spoke. "High Wizard, mebbe?"

"_Meteor Assault_!" shouted a female voice, and split seconds later a group of six Medusas fell to the ground, writhing in agony, and then vanished. Standing there before Jackel and Lana now was a female Assassin Cross, grinning at them and waving. "I'm Sahari and I'll be one of your saviours this evening."

"Correction: an Assassin Cross." Lana whispered to him, waving back at her.

A handful of monsters made a jump for the suggestively-clad female, but were thrown back and stunned temporarily with the quick use of Sonic Blow on each of them.

"Are you going to stand there and wait for them to tear you limb from limb and feed you to their Pests or are you going to get your asses over here and get out through the clearing I made for us?" huffed the auburn-haired youth, arms crossing over her chest. "They're not gonna stay stunned for too long."

Neither the Gunslinger nor the High Priestess needed to be told twice, and they made a break for the child-like Assassin. Skillfully, Sahari lead them in a winding path through the massive wall of demon monsters, leading her to a tall Stalker, who had just finished casting a second Storm Gust when they arrived at his location.

"So that's where that came from. I'm a-guessin' yer a Stalker?" Jackel mused, arching a brow at the long-haired man in front of him.

Nodding, the man replied, "I'm Dmitri Equins. And I'm guessing you two are the reason those things crawled out of their cave and started up the commotion here in Comodo?"

Jackel blushed grudgingly, but nodded, as Lana's gleefully amused giggles sounded beside him. "I'm Jackel Vane, 'n' that's Lady Lana."

"You guys started this mess." Sahari said, staring the Gunslinger level in the eyes. With a hard tug on his pony tail, she added, "So you guys have to help us clean it up."

"We plan on it." Lana responded softly, smiling. "We just made a couple of missteps, and I'm out of blue gemstones."

"Oh," Dmitri said with a start, digging around in the feathery fur collar at his neck. He drew out a small pouch that jingled softly with each movement and dropped it into the Priestess's palm. "If that's all you need, then, here. Some rotten fish-like monsters in one of the caves were dropping them left and right, and we figured they would come in handy. But, since we have no use for them and they're pretty basic for you, you can have 'em."

"So! If everybody's ready," Sahari chirped, a wickedly delighted grin spreading on her face as she turned to face the crowd of Medusas, "Shall we get this slaughter started?"  
**To Be Continued...**


	10. Commotion in Comodo Part 3

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** The third and final part of the Commotion in Comodo chapter, where we see how things worked out for everyone. I'm lazy today, so the theme for this is the patcher song for ScytheRO (which if I'm not mistaken the list just calls it ScythePatcher lol. xD) It might seem like Jackel reminds you a bit of Shujiri for his love of picking a fight, but unlike Shujiri, he has no problem hurting things; he kind of enjoys the sport of it, although he wouldn't harm another human being for anything when it came down to it. Think of him as a stereotypical western gun slingin' badass. That's pretty much him in a nut shell. A FURTHER NOTE: If you go to the chapter directly following this one, you see a tiny omake done just for the sake of boredom and my personal amusement at the suffering of Sahari/my online daughter, Riley. I just felt like being mean.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Commotion in Comodo (Part 3)**  
"_Double Strafing_!"

"_Soul Breaker_!"

"_Magnus Exorcismus_!"

"Merry Chris'mas, varmints; eat lead! YEEE-HOO!"

Dmitri, Lana, and Sahari turned to stare at Jackel in silence, not quite believing their ears that the man was enjoying himself so thoroughly in such a risky situation.

Lana gave a sigh and returned to her task of casting Angelus on herself and the others. She had traveled with him for a few days, yes, but even she couldn't get over how eagerly he jumped at every opportunity that arose to whip out his guns. And for the love of Freya, did he ever have a very extensive collection of every kind one could imagine. Revolvers, gatling guns, shotguns, pistols...If he'd had a stock pile of each of them, he could have run his own little specialty shop!

"He doesn't have a soul, does he?" Dmitri whispered to her as he cast Preserve again, and then sent a fresh wave of arrows into the chest of a Medusa that went down almost immediately.

Sahari gave him a gentle smack to the back of the head, following this action with a lecturing tone to the word 'shame,' while Lana snorted softly. "I'd like to hope so."

Sahari lunged toward one of the monsters nearest to her. When she was almost close enough to it to strike out at it with her katars, a sharp thud to the stomach forced all the air from her lungs and sent her flying away from it. The creature's arm, somehow suddenly as firm as the stone on which it sat, extended at its next target as the Assassin Cross impacted with Lana. The two ladies sailed through the air a ways until they landed at the shore, just inches from the waves that lapped up onto the sandy beach under the beautiful night time sky.

With the women separated from the Stalker and Gunslinger, and temporarily helpless until they could regain their wits about them, a few of the Medusas broke away from the group and moved toward the momentarily motionless girls, intent on finishing them off.

Dmitri's eyes widened, finally finding the ability to move returning to him after the unexpected turn of events. Rushing toward them, he thrust his arms down toward the ground, his bow laying forgotten where he had stood. "_Storm Gust_!"

As the words fell from his mouth, the Medusas provided him with another surprise. Easily, they maneuvered out of the way of the blizzard's wrath and continued on their path to the girls.

A startled, strangled cry from behind him made the Stalker turn his light eyes back in the direction he'd left Jackel.

The man dangled in the air, held by the throat from behind by a Medusa that had snuck up on him, his guns on the ground beneath him uselessly.

With his bow too far out of reach for the current emergency, himself half way between the girls and the Gunslinger respectively, Dmitri made a quick decision to cast Storm Gust over him again, hoping it would destroy the thing grasping his neck and leave the blonde himself untouched.

Thankfully, the action paid off; Jackel was freed from the monster's clutches, falling to the beach with a soft thump, gasping for air. His right hand flew to his throat as he nodded a shaky thank you at his party member. A moment later that same hand was motioning back to Lana and Sahari as he stood back to his feet, grabbing his guns as he went.

Dmitri didn't need to be reminded, much less told twice; he left the Gunslinger to his own devices again and dashed closer to the fallen females, again casting Storm Gust (which was rapidly becoming his favourite stolen skill at this rate,) then casting it again directly over his daughter figure and Lana to be on the safe side.

The Medusas shrank away from the storms but were too slow, caught in the climatic embodiment of the rage of their caster.

When they fell to the ground and vanished, obliterated by the angry snow storms and their howling winds, Dmitri dashed toward the girls. A relieved smile dawned over his lips as he noticed them beginning to stir, and he knelt down beside them.

"What hit me?" groaned Sahari, moving to rest her forehead gently against the fluffy neck piece on Dmitri's outfit. She still felt a bit dazed, but at least she was alive; it could have been much worse, she reasoned with herself, nuzzling her face into the softness. She was just barely aware of the movement of Lana beside her and Dmitri's reassuring hug as he checked to see that they were both more or less unharmed by their experience.

"An airship?" ventured Lana in a soft tone, feeling as if the world were a merry-go-round in the process of slowing down to stop after an unusually long, violent ride.

After a few more seconds passed, she realized their distance from the shore had been drastically shortened. What exactly had happened? But more worryingly, where was Jackel? The only ones she could directly account for were herself, Sahari, and Dmitri.

The light green-haired male stood to his feet as though reading her questioning thoughts and turned toward Jackel, who was again surrounded by a large number of Medusas. Though they were all that remained now, the sheer number didn't seem to amount to favourable odds for the currently solo gunman.

Even as the three began to run in his direction to help out, it seemed he was not without a surprise or two of his own.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he checked to see that both of his revolvers were full of bullets and a smirk graced his lips. Then, before a word could be uttered by his compatriots, his arms flew out to the sides and he let out a long, loud, gleeful laugh that earned him a funny look from the humans and a bewildered one from a few monsters. And, as his fingers rapidly pulled the twin triggers to unleash a hail of bullets at every last monster surrounding him in a show of his favourite skill, his voice rang out so that it carried across the span of the beach.

"_Desperado_! Why don't you come to yer senses? You been out ridin' fences fer so long now. Ooh yer a hard one, but I know you got yer reasons; these things that're pleasin' you c'n hurt you somehow~!"

When the sound of his verse mingling with the firing of his guns died off into silence, not a single monster remained standing. Each one had fallen to the ground under the onslaught and vanished, dead before they even landed.

"That was terrible!" Lana chided the man as she and the others approached him, eyes still wide at the show he'd put on. "You killed them all without even blinking an eye and it-"

"Was the most awesome thing I've ever seen!" Sahari squealed, running to him and hugging him tightly before moving back again, bouncing in place excitedly. She turned her face quickly to stare up at Dmitri, eyes wide. "Can we keep him? I mean, gawd, did you see that? Bang, bang, down they went! And you looked so-"

"-So friggin' awesome!" Dmitri interrupted, joining the dark-haired girl's awe-struck praise.

Lana sighed, shaking her head; inwardly, she had to admit, she was just as guilty of feeling a twinge of amazement and impression at the sight they'd witnessed as the other two were. That didn't mean she had to let it be known, though; she prided herself on being the good conscience of those around her and wasn't about to stop now.

"Well," Jackel spoke up at last, putting a stop to the babbling of the Assassin Cross and Stalker, although he still wore a smug smile on his lips like a child fishing for comments on their crayon drawing, "That's the end'a them things."

Lana thought in silence for a moment, then turned to face Jackel, her gaze inquiring. "What do we do now, then?"

"You two could always stay here for a while." offered Dmitri helpfully, smiling.

"Nah; this whole mess reminds me'a somethin' I gotta do in Amatsu. Dunno why er what, but 's gotta be impor'nt. Somethin' 'bout a group'a trees. So, I'd might 's well head that a-way 'n' check into it." Jackel said with a small shrug.

"Can we go too?" asked Sahari, staring up at him with a pleading expression. "We don't have any reason to hang around here anyway, so no one would notice it if we left."

"She's right; we could probably go." Dmitri admitted in agreement, looking to Jackel as well. "If you don't mind, that is."

"Of course not!" grinned the High Priestess. "We could always use company; it's more fun traveling in groups."

"And safer." Dmitri added.

Sahari smacked him on the back of the head, staring at him. "Coward."

"I am not; it's just safer to travel in larger numbers these days. You don't get attacked as often if you do, and even if you do get attacked, it's easier to fend whatever it is off."

"So let's git a move on!" Jackel coaxed, his guns already in their holsters as he turned his back to the town to head out.

Without a word of questioning, Lana, Sahari, and Dmitri trailed along after him. Soon enough, a lively discussion was going between the four traveling companions.  
**To Be Continued...**


	11. Commotion in Comodo OMAKE

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** Well, here's your omake for the Commotion in Comodo chapters. Isn't life fun? XD And, a further note, Sahari would kill me dead if she ever read this.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Commotion in Comodo OMAKE**  
The sun shone over the docks of Comodo, ushering in what promised to be another beautiful day for the people who made the town their home.

Beautiful, but not peaceful. The residents were currently running around frantically, checking in each building and by the shore's edge, as well as near the dance studio, searching for the Stalker they had made their friend.

It had started peacefully enough, with one of the girls making her way to the outskirts of the town toward the beach to search out the handsome youth.

Although she was no stranger to the Gypsy occupation she held, having learned from masters of the trade during her time in Comodo and out in the real world, Sonzei still returned to the breathtaking town on occasion to help train the next generation of Dancers and Gypsies and to catch up on things with her former teachers. When she had first arrived back from her current trip, she had encountered the sea green-clad male at the peer and found him both interesting and enigmatic.

Today, she had hoped to bring him with her to the studios to ask him to watch as she performed a dance as an example for the High Novices who hoped to become a Dancer. Upon arriving, however, she had found that he wasn't in his usual spot. With her doll ears perked just slightly to listen for the sound of his voice, she wandered the beach for a good ten minutes before moving on to the rest of the village, hoping one of the people there had seen him.

Nine huts later, and still with no sign of Dmitri, she resigned herself to giving the example without his presence. Unfortunately, she couldn't keep the annoyance from showing during her dance; the Fairy Burst Wings on her back fluttered restlessly, throwing her off balance a few times. Although she managed to recover and disguise the mishaps as intentional steps, it only served to provide a further reminder that he still hadn't shown up.

After the lesson, Sonzei made her way to a group of people gathered near the large shell stage. She explained the situation to them, and they seemed to concur; they hadn't seen the lad recently, either. Deciding to help their Dancer alumni, they set out to search for the man.

A few hours had passed and still there was no trace of the bowman. Concerned, and knowing that he had so far never left without telling them ahead of time, even if it was to go only as far as the beach, they extended their search and asked a few more of the townspeople for help.

When no one turned up results, everyone grew somewhat worried. Their search intensified, until finally they had looked everywhere in and around the town. The only other options were the fields that surrounded their town on the outskirts of the caves connecting to the beaches, and only the brave and experienced would be able to venture there. Frantic, they doubled their efforts, even beginning to look in the most ridiculous of places in hopes of locating the man.

Cries of the Stalker's name echoed around the town, but never received any acknowledgment.

At the height of their panic, villagers were rushing this way and that, throwing tables and chairs aside, parting bushes and checking the tiny boats tied to the docks, still clinging to the hope that they could find him.

Coming to a stop, one of the teachers glanced around, looking as if she had only just remembered something. When the others turned to see why she had stopped looking, she scratched her head in confusion and asked, "Wasn't there an Assassin Cross here too?"  
**To Be Continued...**


	12. Ghebriel Awakens

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** Although my High Priest, Zira, was my 'main' character (along with my Sin-X Ghoule), this chapter features my Alchemist/Biochemist character, Ghebriel, from VoidRO. His homunculus was a Filir that I'd named Pharin, and I quickly found that it was fun to use the at-homtalk command to put words into his mouth so that we could argue with each other. He might end up actually playing a big part in this. Also, you'll see Alex; he's one of Shujiri's characters. And a major pain in the ass, because I had to come back and edit this and the other chapters he's in so many times just to get it right after he changed his name and class from Kyouya the Biochemist.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Ghebriel Awakens  
**Groaning as he sat up wearily from his resting spot under the shade of the tree, Ghebriel placed one gloved hand to the side of his head, hoping that it would somehow stifle the pounding headache. His eyes, somehow a mix of sky blue and lavender, blinked in the light of the afternoon sun, and slowly the stabbing sensation in his head ebbed away into a dull throb. Eventually it tapered away into nothingness.

The Creator sighed, glancing around at his surroundings slowly. As he took in the relaxing sights and the comfortable climate, his mind finally clicked on the words he was searching for. Pausing for a moment, he frowned. "What in Odin's name am I still doing here? There's something I should be doing elsewhere, but for the life of me, I still can't remember what it is. Or maybe it's that I was looking for someone? That weird dream came back again..."

"Hey!" came a slightly distant voice, causing Ghebriel to look up toward the small incline to where a Whitesmith was approaching him.

When the man came to a stop a few feet away from Ghebriel, his eyes seemed to be summing up the seated male as if analyzing him. At last, he spoke again. "You alright there? You look like Helheim warmed over."

Brushing a few stray strands of his unusual mix of light-blonde-blue hair out of his eyes and tucking it back into his ponytail again, Ghebriel squinted slightly as he stared up at the other man. "Yeah," he replied at length, "Fine. Thanks..."

Taking the dragged out thank you as the subtle searching for a name it had been intended as, the other man replied, "Alex. And you are?"

"Ghebriel."

"Great to meet you. Where's your homunculus?"

"I- I don't know."

Alex arched a brow at him and offered his hand, which Ghebriel took, and pulled him to his feet before him. "Didn't think I'd hear a Biochemist say that; can't you use Call?"

Ghebriel gave himself a mental kick to the shin for forgetting such a basic thing. He gave a sheepish smile at the man and stepped back. "Truth be told, I hadn't really thought to make one yet.."

Alex gave a hummed 'mmhm' at the confession and smiled slightly. "Scatterbrained? Or just not that interested?"

"I guess you could say I forgot. There's been so much going on and I've just had so much to think about,..."

The Mastersmith nodded in understanding. "Say no more; I understand. You might want to make one soon, though. Those things are supposed to help protect and serve their master, aren't they? And the areas outside of town have gotten pretty dangerous lately."

Nodding slightly, Ghebriel glanced down at the bag by his side. "I suppose so.."

A few moments of rummaging in the bag and the 'Chemist pulled out a few items and sat them on the ground near him. Moving to sit on his knees, he quickly combined the items together. He knew he should probably open the Embryo Creation Guide book that he'd bought for when he did finally create his first homunculus, but something in his mind was telling him in a voice almost as clear as day that he already knew what he was doing. It told him that he would be fine without even opening the giant textbook. He wasn't quite sure how that was, but he was never one to ignore his instincts, and so he continued with the next part of the procedure.

"_Pharmacy_!"

Now holding the precious embryo in his hand, Ghebriel smiled down at it with a sense of pride at his creation. However, lingering at the back of his mind was something else. Nervousness? Hope mixed with anxiety gnawed at him, and he wasn't sure why, but he was almost hesitant to use the tiny thing he held in his hand to create the life it would become. What if it wasn't the one he'd hoped for...?

But that was silly. He'd never actually made a homunculus before, and although he'd read about the types it was possible to produce, he wasn't really partial to any one of them.

No, that wasn't quite right either. He wanted the little bird, but why? It wasn't the most powerful of the options available; that would be Amistr. It wasn't the most supportive, either; that role belong to Lif. Vanilmirth was known to be one of the more versatile creations a 'Chemist could hope for. So, why was he so drawn to the Filir?

The muscular Whitesmith before Ghebriel quirked a brow. Well, he'd admit, that was the first time he'd ever seen someone make the embryo for their homunculus right in front of him.

Really, the youth probably should have used the book he'd spotted in his bag when he was rifling through it about the subject since it was the first one he'd created. Ghebriel seemed to know what he was doing, however, and had gone through the process with the skill and speed of a seasoned professional, so perhaps he really had forgotten. Apparently the Creator wasn't as dense as he'd first thought.

"Nice." he said, looking down at the embryo and resisting the urge to poke at it curiously.

Ghebriel smiled, and then with a last, deep breath, closed his eyes and said, "_Call Homunculus_!"

As soon as the words fell from Ghebriel's lips, a small, blue bird with yellow eyes appeared between he and Alex. Upon seeing the form of his summoner, the Filir homunculus made a beeline for his shoulder, perching neatly upon it with only a wince from the light-eyed male as his talons slightly punctured his skin through the fabric of his shirt.

"I was starting to wonder when you'd get around to bringing me back, you retard!" chirped the small bird in annoyance, its feathers ruffled in a show of agitation.

Alex raised a brow at the little creature's language.

"Uhm, I'm sorry?" muttered Ghebriel, somewhat uncertain.

_Bringing him back?_

That didn't quite sound right, but then again, trying to say 'creating him' at this point didn't seem fully true, either. Both of them felt like a half-lie, and he wasn't certain which one was more the case at hand. He couldn't remember anything about having a homunculus before, but this little creature seemed to already know who he was.

Not only that, but the Filir seemed to be comfortable enough with their knowledge of each other that he felt free to say whatever he pleased. He gave the suggestion that he had been created before - that he was only waiting to be brought forward. But how could that be?

"It looks like you two have some catching up to do, I guess." said Alex with a small snicker. "I should go catch back up with the others and leave you two in peace; I said I wouldn't be gone for long. I just warped here to grab some money for a trip, after all. Catch ya later!"

At these words, the blue homunculus turned its attention from his creator to the stranger and gave a small chirp of a goodbye to him, watching him retreat into the distance. _He'll be back._

Ghebriel let out a small frown, confused with his situation and frustrated at his constant inability to remember what he was certain he should know. He needed to try to get his thoughts together and figure things out, and hopefully his new feathered companion could be of some use for that. And, somehow, he felt as if he instinctively knew the best place for it.

"**To Lutie, please!**"

The ground seemed to be sucked from under his feet, and for a jarring moment, he had the sensation of being sucked through a vacuum and spit back out into the mud.

However, when he looked down at the ground underneath him, Ghebriel was only a little surprised to see that the soft crunch and squish he had felt of the ground giving way when he landed wasn't mud, but freshly fallen snow. And, in fact, the snow was still falling around him as he glanced around to take in his new surroundings.

Tweeting in anger, the Filir homunculus flitted around his head, shouting curses as he struggled to get his senses about himself again. Once he had landed on the man's shoulder again, he gave a long, sharply-pitched chirp in his ear, preening his feathers back into place for a moment. Then, satisfied with his appearance, he seemed to glare at his master. "Warn me next time you warp us somewhere, retard; do you have any idea what that does to my sense of space?"

Ghebriel smiled apologetically and made his way to the small stone wall across from the large, beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the middle of the frozen town. Sitting down on it, he watched the snow fall in silence for a few minutes. When the snow began to taper off just slightly, the Filir finally spoke again.

"Hey, retard, it stopped snowing."

"I hadn't noticed..." Ghebriel responded, his voice giving way to a slight trace of the confusion and exhaustion he felt.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, the bird spoke again.

"Well you're unusually quiet today; what are you thinking about?"

"Oh...Not a lot."

"A girl?"

"No."

If it were possible for birds to smirk, the homunculus would have given the pale man on whose shoulder he sat a sly one as he nudged his cheek with one downy wing in a mocking manner, tone sarcastic. "I had no idea you swung that way!"

"Eh?"

"That was a joke, you idiot. It must be a guy, then, if it's not a girl, you bastardly dastard! Did you meet someone while I was gone? Gasp! What happened to that other one?"

Ghebriel paused before replying, silently mouthing the two words the bird had called him in awe and confusion with a hint of amusement. Then the suggestion hit him full force and he exclaimed, "No! It's not!"

"You're right; stupid me. It's that teaching guy again, isn't it?"

"Wha-?"

"Well if that's not it, then what's the deal? Why aren't we going anywhere? Usually you're pushing the levels for me to catch up to yours and this is the first time since the fight for Void that we've seen each other. You'd think you could at least pretend to be happy to see me, eh?"

Ghebriel frowned at this. _Void?_ Was that part of what he should remember? If the creature on his shoulder did, then obviously he should have, too, but why couldn't he?

Staring hard at the bird for a moment, Ghebriel said, "Sorry; I'm just a little tired."

"Oh, yeah, that's right; you humans need sleep."

"I don't remember what you're talking about, I'm afraid."

"You at least remember me, right?"

There was a long stretch of silence, and the bird seemed to slowly become more subdued as he realized that, no, his own creator didn't seem to know his name. So, he tried again.

"You know. The name you gave me? You said it was my special name, and I should remember it."

Ghebriel flashed him another apologetic smile.

"Pharin. My name's Pharin; you gave me that name, retard."

The name did seem familiar, the more the Biochemist said it in his head. He vaguely recalled saying it in his own voice more than a few times. Deciding he would think more on that when the headache wasn't trying to slowly creep its way back into his consciousness, Ghebriel said, "I don't understand why you feel the need to insult me at every turn."

"Because it consoles my empty soul. When I insult you, the void left by, well, Void, is almost forgotten. It brings me peace in times of unrest; at least one of us has to remember how we should be, right?"

Choosing to file the name Void in his memory cabinet of things to ask the homunculus later as well, Ghebriel quirked a brow at Pharin. "So picking on me makes you happy? What the Helheim, you little YFS?"

"YFS?"

"Yuno Fried Sadist."

"I should applaud your ability to come up with two insults in one, but even a fool has to be right by chance every now and then."

When he didn't get a response, Pharin turned his head to face the human only to find him half-asleep where they sat. He nudged his face gently with one soft wing, waking him.

"Sorry." responded the Biochemist instantly, looking down into the bird's yellow eyes. "What?"

"Hey, dipstick, either talk to me or go to bed. Idiot."

"I might do that."

"Man, Eos would love to see us now."

"Eos?"

"Memory loss, eh? Well. She loved picking on you as much as I do. She adored and worshiped the very air in which I flit."

To emphasize his point, Pharin gave a flap of his wings and became airborne, traveling a few small circles around his companion's head before returning to his perch happily.

Ghebriel wasn't quite certain why, but a faint image of what could only have been the girl of which his Filir spoke entered his mind, and somehow he seemed to remember the basic line of her personality. He gave a small, sly snicker as he said, "You were probably just a mass of feathers and lunch to her."

"That's terrible!" chirped Pharin in horrified agitation, feathers ruffling once again.

"That's why I said it."

"And that's why you're the retard, and I'm the quick-witted brains of this operation."

There was silence for a time, and the sky slowly began to let out another round of falling snow, as beautiful as it fell as it was when it landed on the ground and joined its comrades to coat their surroundings in a sheen of peaceful white.

Pharin spoke again. "Ah. It's snowing again."

"So it is."

"We should nickname this damn place Frosty, like we did in Void. It makes sense, right?"

"I guess it does."

"We should start that whole 'in Soviet Lutie. . .' joke, too."

"But wouldn't that be like beating a dead cow?"

"Lutie isn't dead, though, is it? So it's not beating a dead cow until the cow is actually dead."

"...Touche."

Pharin laughed, the tweeting sounding almost as merry as the holiday the town they sat in was famous for.

Ghebriel reached up to rest his hand atop the Filir's head, gently stroking the feathers down as he petted him.

Yes, he had a lot to think about. Hopefully, his companion would be able to help him with that. For now, however, maybe he should try to get in a bit of sleep to soothe his pounding head. There were many mysteries to his current situation that he needed to figure out, but they would just have to wait until later on. He had to make his way back to his home and sort a few things out, first.  
**To Be Continued...**


	13. We're Off to Amatsu!

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** After a good bit of reworking the story repeatedly, I've decided that regardless of not having an easy time of figuring out how to edit Ghebriel's chapters, I liked how he and Pharin turned out and I'm refusing to remove them. So, I'm throwing them in and letting their part in the story write itself, pretty much. (And, God, have I been redoing a lot of the story...) No song for this one sadly...

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: We're Off to Amatsu!**  
"What are you doing?" sighed Ghebriel wearily, watching the bird-shaped homunculus as it quickly made its way to the nearby updates bulletin board and hid behind it. This had been going on for the last couple of hours as they made the trek back towards his home; whenever they encountered a sign or a mail box, the little Filir had rushed off behind it.

"I feel so naked in this world." Pharin complained, sounding almost as if he were a whining child being refused their favourite toy. "It's like I went back in time to when I actually sucked a little. You know - back when you first made me."

The Creator's eyes rolled at this. "You have feathers, so you aren't naked. Come on out; we need to finish the trip before nightfall because I don't want to get caught in the fields at night. I've heard there are some nasty things that come out around here near dark."

"Damnit, I'm not coming out until I'm stronger! Go find me something to kill."

"How do you propose that works out, Pharin? You have to go with me if you want to kill it; it doesn't work any other way. If you want experience in the field, then you have to do some work."

"I did ALL the work on Void; it's your turn here! Now go find me some pre- victi- find me some friggin' food!"

Ghebriel arched an eyebrow at these words and he turned slowly to face the bird-shaped being. An amused smirk quirked the corners of his lips up as he snickered aloud. He propped the axe in his hands upon the ground and draped his arm over the hand still holding it, leaning his weight upon it to rest for a moment. "I like that you had to change that comment. Twice."

"DO AS I SAY, HUMAN!" bellowed the homunculus, feathers ruffled in aggravation towards his master. "I'm not comin' out until I'm stronger, so get cracking!"

"I could always take us to the second floor of the Abbey; there are plenty of Ragged Zombies and Flaming Skulls there to keep you occupied. Me, too, for that matter."

"You do that; we'll see how long you last when I'm dead. And you'll cry when I die, I know you will; you always do!"

"You haven't died yet, Pharin. How would you know that?"

There was a silence between the two for a few seconds, which seemed as uncomfortable as it did long, until Pharin finally replied, "Because at least I remember it even if you don't, stupid."

Another silence ensued, and the two remained motionless as Pharin's words sank in. As crass a creature as he was, the slightly tanned Biochemist's homunculus was still a loyal creature and so far it had yet to let him down in any way. If something attacked him, Pharin was right there with him to fend it off; sometimes he would even be the one to strike first, so as to distract the monster and buy Ghebriel some time to finish it off. Why should it have been any surprise, then, that he would take his master's sadness seriously?

Ghebriel shook himself from his reverie and righted himself, pulling the axe up from the ground and over his shoulder. Resting his free hand on his hip, he cleared his throat to catch Pharin's attention and said, "Come on. We should get going if we want to be in the nearest town by nightfall."

Grudgingly, Pharin made his way out from his hiding place and perched on the man's shoulder. "Then let's get going, retard, we don't have all day. We don't even have half a day."

The smirk on Ghebriel's face became a smile as he turned north again. "I thought you'd see it my way eventually."

"If I saw things your way, I'd be running into things left and right, idiot. We're lucky at least one of us is somewhat intelligent; I'm just going along for the ride. My wings are tired form all that flying."

BANG, BANG, BANG.

A hail of bullets whizzed past the blue homunculus on Ghebriel's shoulder, startling both Filir and master. Pharin instinctively took flight, looking around for the source of the commotion, and squawked in protest when he spotted a face that was all too familiar to him.

"Stay put, ya stubborn thing!" shouted the dirty-blonde-haired gunman, taking aim again. "This'll teach ya t' bother travelers!"

One of the young women accompanying the Gunslinger gasped, eyes wide as she grabbed his arm. She pushed it at the ground, halting his fire. "Jackel, you idiot, that's not a monster; that man's an Creator and that's obviously his homunculus!"

Ghebriel's eyes scanned each of the four faces in front of him, still a bit startled and more than a little confused. "Who are-"

The Stalker and Assassin Cross just snickered, but the High Priestess stepped forward with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about him; he's trigger happy." With this, she threw a withering glare at the man behind her. Turning her face back to Ghebriel, she added, "I'm Lady Lana, a High Priestess for the Order at Rachel Sanctuary in Rachel. The brainless idiot's Jackel Vane, a Gunslinger I met on the outskirts of Comodo. Finally, the Assassin Cross and Stalker are Sahari and Dmitri, respectively; we met them in Comodo and have been traveling together since then."

"Oh." came Ghebriel's response, unsure still of how to react to the information given to him. "I'm-"

BANG, BANG.

Fwwp, fwwp!

"JACKEL! DMITRI! SHAME ON YOU!" shrieked Sahari, clocking both men over the back of the head with the first side of her katars.

Pharin ducked and wove through the blasts and arrows, puffing in anger at the insolent humans across from his companion. "Why the hell are you still firing at me? The broad just explained what I am to you two idiots!"

Dmitri gave Pharin a sheepish smile, rubbing the small lump on his head. "I just felt compelled to shoot at you."

"And you think that makes it okay to try to kill me? I'll peck your eyes out, you retard!"

Sahari ran up to the bird, grabbing him from where he hovered and pulling him to her chest in a tight hug. "Ohmaigawd, ohmaigawd, ohmaigawd, you're so cute and fluffy!"

Almost immediately, Pharin seemed to calm down in her embrace and, although wary of the katars over the backs of her hands, he allowed himself to be cuddled by the seemingly strange girl. Once she released him, he flew to her shoulder and settled down there, considering himself safer with her than with Ghebriel for the moment.

"Sorry," Lana apologized again. "What did you say your name was, again?"

"Ghebriel; like you said, I'm a Creator. That Filir there on her shoulder is my homunculus, Pharin."

Sahari and Jackel paused briefly, looking to the ball of feathers on her shoulder. "Pharin, huh?" she asked.

"No." growled Ghebriel, slapping Jackel on the side of his head.

The man lowered his arms back to his sides from where they had slowly been lifted and returned his gold lux revolvers back to their holsters, looking guilty for having been caught.

If birds could smirk, Pharin was doing just that at the look on Jackel's face. With his wings spread, he took to the sky once again, circling overhead before swooping back down and landing on his master's shoulder proudly. "Whaddaya know, you have a backbone after all!"

"Of course I do; I can't just let people go around killing you. It takes energy to bring you back, you know." Ghebriel replied gently, giving the bird-shaped creature a soft smile.

"Is that the only reason you don't want me to die? You bastard! I should peck through your eyes to your brain, squish it around until it's mushy, and then slurp it out your nose with a straw made from the skin of your tongue!"

Dmitri coughed softly, shifting his weight a bit. "That was oddly specific."

"Where are you two headed?" Lana interjected, hoping to stop the pending argument.

"Amatsu, I think. I live close to there."

"That's where we were a-headin'." Jackel replied, stepping up and holding out his hand to the slightly shorter male. "Wanna go with us? Sure 'nough 't'd be safer that way."

"Sure."

Pharin chirped a loud objection into Ghebriel's ear, earning him a sharp frown. "I don't think so." he put in, glaring daggers at the black and white-clad Gunslinger. "You'll just try to kill me again, asshole."

"Pharin, please be nice. He has a point; it's safer to travel in groups these days, and we won't have to worry about being stuck out here at night now. Especially since we won't make it to town before dark thanks to the encounter; we should take him up on the offer."

"You take him up on the offer. I'll stay off the menu, thanks."

"Pharin."

"No."

"Please?"

"Fuck you."

Ghebriel sighed. "What if I give you an extra garlet next time you're hungry?"

"Forget it."

"Two extra garlet?"

"I'm tuning you out."

"Five garlet, and that's my final offer."

Pharin hopped slightly on the Biochemist's shoulder to turn and face him, and if he had the ability to grin he would have been doing so. "Now you're speaking my language, pal. You have a deal."

Grumbling to himself, Ghebriel pulled out a small note pad from his pocket and wrote down the reminder to put extra servings into the little dish for Pharin at his next feeding session. When he replaced it, he muttered, "Greedy."

The Filir turned its big eyes to face Jackel, puffing his chest in satisfaction. "Lead on!"  
**To Be Continued...**


	14. Zeny, Zeny, Zeny By the Pound, Ouch!

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** This time around we have Rine and Rina's turn, and even though they're my characters and had no relation whatsoever despite their name similarities (unlike with Zire and Zira who, although unrelated, shared occupations because of the similarity) they've magically become husband and wife in this story. We'll also be introducing two more characters - Shuji's Sniper Dusk Van'el, and one of my Snipers, Dawn Van'el. Mostly this was inspired because I enjoyed my time on VoidRO and RoK as a Whitesmith; talk about money makers. So, this is set where Rine spent most of his time: Prontera. Justly, the song for this one is Theme of Prontera. (Rina's probably only in here because Shuji said to introduce some more females in. xD)

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Zeny, Zeny, Zeny By the Pound (Ouch!)  
**"Alright, ma'am; your total comes to an even seventeen million zeny." Rine said brightly, his smile as warm as the sun that shone down upon them from the midday sun in the sky over Prontera's market place.

Gasping, the young Soul Linker raised a hand to her lips in astonishment. "Seventeen million?" she repeated, her dark eyes wide. "Isn't that a bit steep for a wand and a few cards?"

Rine's smile became apologetic as his brows furrowed slightly. "I'm afraid not." he responded softly with a sigh. "Everyone's been jumping their prices up, so it's harder to get materials and items these days. I do try to keep my prices set as low as possible for my customers, but I still have to be able to make enough at the end of the day to purchase things to keep the business running and food on the table."

The white-haired woman smiled again. "You're right. I know. Every time I come to the market, you've always had the lowest prices; I stopped bothering with the others long ago because of that. I really do appreciate your consideration for the people like me that can't afford those ritzy prices. Seventeen million isn't too bad I guess."

As her hand dove into the robes at her bosom, Rine respectfully looked away until the sound of jingling near his arm drew his attention back to her.

"Here you go," she said sweetly. "Seventeen million zeny." Then, with a wink, she added, "Plus a bit extra; it isn't much, but every bit helps. Just a thank you from me to you for being so helpful every time I come by."

"Oh, ma'am, I couldn't-"

"Now, now, there you go with that 'ma'am' business again; call me Emoi. That word just makes me feel so old. And don't worry about it. You had a point when you mentioned needing to still make a little profit at the end of the day. With prices like those you won't make much at all!"

"Thank you very much, then." The braided teal-green-haired Whitesmith took the bag of zeny she held out to him, and bowed slightly as she turned and walked off.

Once Rine had made certain the woman was gone, he slipped the latches connecting his cart to the belt at his waist and slid free from it. With a soft snap of the fingers, it seemingly disappeared completely, a few bent blades of grass just to the side of the circle of marketeers serving as the only proof it had ever been there at all. Then, satisfied that it was safely out of harm's way and out of the question for passing Thieves, he strode at a relatively leisurely pace towards the thickest number of Merchants to see what was available.

"Hello, sir, and welcome to my shop; what can I do for you?" asked the Merchant he stood before, smiling.

"Maybe in a minute; I'm just looking for the moment."

"Rine!" yelled a female voice from behind him.

When Rine turned to see who had called for him, a wide smile traced his lips and quirked them upwards at the corners.

Walking towards him with a vague swinging of the hips was Rina Hanabi, a High Wizard. Her long, wild, bright red hair bounced just slightly with each step she took, her robe trailing behind her in the gentle breeze. Finally she reached a point beside the tanned Whitesmith, holding her hand out to him expectantly. "Long time no see, you old dog! What have you been up to?"

"Well, hasn't it's been a while!" came Rine's hearty response, clasping her hand in his and giving it a firm shake. The Candy Wings on his back fluttered happily for a moment, then stilled again. "I just closed up shop for the day and decided to browse around a little!'

"That sounds about right." Rina smirked and said, eyes half closed in a sneaky glance at him. "Say, when was the last time we _did_ run into each other?"

"In the first set of catacombs in the Payon area, wasn't it? We went around for old time's sake and I snatched up everything they dropped for us."

"Greedy little rat, aren't you? But I can't hold that against you; how many Opals did we end up finding, anyway?"

"Fifty-seven."

Rina's eyes widened, and she drew her hand back, placing it on her hip. "Not bad! But that number seems to change every time you say it."

"It can't be helped, you know how bad my memory is. Anyway, it's getting late; let's catch up a bit more later, got it?"

"Sounds good to me; let me finish my shopping."

"What can I do for you?" asked the Merchant, switching his focus to the black-clad woman, blushing when she leaned over to examine the offerings a bit better.

Rina looked around in the little cart, and smiled as the eye not covered by her bangs spotted something interesting. She extended the arm that had been dangling at her side towards it and inquired, "What would you want for the Staff of Destruction? Hm...Oh, and the Flame Skull and Myst Case Cards? I'm hoping to surprise one of my friends with them."

"For the staff, it's a good rate of fifty million zeny; for the cards, ten thousand apiece."

"Oh..I'm afraid I don't have quite that much on me.."

The Merchant hesitated for a moment, but replied, "How about twenty-five million for the staff, and ten thousand for the cards? I can't go any lower on those."

Rina bit her lip, but pulled out a bag of bag of coins from her hip. Looking into it, she pulled the right amount out and dropped it into the Merchant's hand. "Will this cover it?"

A moment of silence passed as the young man looked through the bag and counted the amount. Then, when he was satisfied that it was close enough to the price he had set, he passed the items to the beautiful woman before him. "That'll do it; thank you, ma'am, and I hope to have the pleasure of doing business with you again in the future!'

Rina's smile tightened for a fraction of a second, and the Merchant would have been pressed to say whether he had seen the change at all. Straightening, the High Wizard curtsied to the man and turned, gathering the objects, she winked toward the blonde and made her way through the crowd. Every so often she glanced around until she finally spotted the man she had been searching for standing off to the corner of the market place - the one spot where there were no carts set up at all.

"You know," Rina ventured with a knowing smirk, holding out the Myst Case Card to Rine, "You're such a sneaky bastard sometimes, swindling people out of their hard-earned zeny. You do NOT have the lowest prices; you haven't ever since you realized your customers started expecting you to."

"Not even then." Rine responded, taking the card and pressing it into his right wing. "But I have to make a living, you know. And it's my zeny that keeps you in those pretty little accessories you love so much, so give it a rest; we both know you enjoy it as much as me. Besides which, I still have a few things I need to take care of." His gaze darkened for a moment and Rina felt a bit guilty for unintentionally dredging up the subject.

Hoping to drive the conversation away from the painful topics, she said, "But I almost feel so sorry for the poor suckers."

The incubus horned-man shrugged, flexing his wings outward to inspect the card's staying power to them and then relaxed them behind him in satisfaction. His eyes locked onto hers, and he snorted. "Yeah, right; they're nice, I'll admit. They could be going somewhere else because of my prices but they still keep coming back."

"That's because they think you're as gay as the fairy you look like and they feel safe around you for it."

"I'm hurt." Rine feigned a pout, but even he knew the truth to her words and he was unable to sustain it for much longer than the moment it was put forth. "Either way, it's the best trick in the book; it's not my fault no one else has figured it out or mastered it yet."

"Oh, yes. Set the lowest prices then jack it up to insane rates over time."

"Because by then," he chuckled, an arm around his wife's waist as they started walking back towards the town of Prontera and out of the market place gates, "They keep expecting me to be the fairest around."

This time, Rina snorted. "Oh, of course, darling; because that certainly didn't sound like a cheap fairy tale line at all, coming from the man who _looks_ like a fairy."

"Either way, let's head back to town and hit a bar."

"I still can't believe you made fifty-seven million today. And off of such easily obtained items, no less!"

"Hey, don't call my hard work easy. Do you know what I went through and how many times I almost died trying to get some of the stuff in that cart?"

"It's not my fault you focus mostly on money and leave the hard work to me." Rina jabbed her forefinger into his chest softly from beside him. "If you'd come with me or join a party now and then, you might be able to get a little bit stronger."

"I'll stick to Mammonite, thank you."

"But all that precious, wasted zeny-"

"-Is easily made back in under an hour, so relax. Now, I'm starved; what do you suggest?"

"Mutant Dragon Steak?"

THUD.

Two pairs of people fell back, limbs flying in each direction, landing sprawled upon the ground.

Groaning, Rine pushed himself upright, one hand gingerly gripping his head as he looked to his side to ensure his wife was still relatively unharmed.

Likewise, one of their accidental assailants pushed himself up as well, the mop of strawberry-blonde hair vaguely obscuring his eyes before being pushed aside.

A grunt came from the form beside the Sniper, and the boy's falcon perched upon his shoulder as he turned to face the body beside him. With a start, he cried out, "SISTER! They've killed you! You can't leave me alone like this; speak to me!"

Rina sat up and, exchanging a look with Rine, watched the boy proceed to shake what remained of the living daylights out of his sibling.

"D- Dusk.." the limp frame whispered softly, just barely loud enough for the three to hear her. "Is- is that you..?"

"It is! It's me, Dawn! Hang on, I'll get help!"

"D..usk...My falcon.."

"Don't speak, you need to save your energy!"

"It's..Important..."

The energetic sibling's eyes widened, and he leaned close. "What is it, dear sister?"

"My..Falcon..It's..Talons..Are ja- jabbing me in the back.."

The sibling known as Dusk blinked for a moment, staring dumbly down at his sister, then pushed her over onto her stomach to reveal the flattened grey bird. It spasmed slightly, but with an angry flutter of its wings and a shower of feathers, it was in the air hovering over its master in moments. Despite its apparent disapproval at being squashed, it was unharmed, and seemed thankful for being freed.

Dawn moaned in the last pangs of the pain in her back, but turned to face Dusk. "Thanks."

Rine and Rina did a momentary double take at the two, not certain if they were seeing double from their spill or if the two were really perfectly identical. But as the seconds ticked by and the images stubbornly refused to fuse with each other, it became apparent that the two really were twins, not just siblings.

As the four stood to their feet, Rina smiled warmly at the two. "We're so sorry about that."

"It's alright." Dusk mumbled, looking at Dawn for a brief second before looking back at the two in front of them.

"Brother dear didn't we have somewhere we needed to be?" asked Dawn in a soft voice, smiling a bit as she shifted from one foot to the next.

Dusk gave a wide, devilish grin. "Oh, but of course!"

"Well, we'll just let you get on your way then." Rine said, taking Rina's hand and stepping aside for them. "We need to be going, too."

"Thanks; later!"

Dusk reached back, his fingers lacing with those of Dawn, and they raced off down the path together toward the patio near the ammunition vendor. Behind them, Dawn's falcon raced after them in what must have been a new record for fastest flight.

Once the two were out of sight, Rine and Rina sighed simultaneously. "Weird."

Shrugging, Rina glanced around and spotted a newly opened shop with a shiny new eraser staff up for grabs. Tugging Rine along with her, she pointed to the staff. "We're getting this before we go anywhere."

Blinking in confusion at the sudden demand, the 'Smith turned to her for a moment. "This? Why?"

Leaning in to whisper to the man at her side, Rina hissed, "Can't you feel the energies surrounding that thing? Just being _near_ it, I can already feel my magic getting stronger! The stronger my magic is, the better and faster I can get things for you to sell. The better stuff you have to sell, the more money we make! I don't know why _you_ have such an interest in getting so rich so fast, but personally, more money means more nice things. We need that!"

Sighing, Rine nodded and turned to the Merchant with a meek smile. "How much?"

Looking down to the staff and then at the candy-winged man, the younger male returned the smile with a nervous one of his own. "Ten million zeny. Sound fair?"

"Ouch..." Rine winced. "I could probably make one for-"

"Five million!" offered the edgy Merchant, eyes wide. "How about five million?"

"I suppose that's a little better...Alright."

The braided man moved his hand to his pockets, feeling around for his pouch of zeny and bank notes. After a few moments of fruitless searching he paused, eyes narrowing.

"Rine, dear," Rina began, sounding suspicious and worried, "What's the hold-up? Five million zeny; pay the man, dear."

"...We'll be back for this, young man." Rine stated, suppressing the urge to Hammer Fall the nearest object or person to vent his annoyance. He reached over and grabbed Rina by the wrist, tugging her along with him in the direction the twins had gone.

"Wha- where are you going, sir?" called the confused Merchant after them.

Shouting back over his shoulder, Rine replied angrily, "To track down my zeny; it's grown legs!"  
**To Be Continued...**


	15. The More, the Merrier

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** Poor Jeliel, he just gets the worst end of the deal non-stop it seems. Perhaps we had too much fun tormenting him this time around, but we just couldn't help ourselves. However, I did take a small line out here or there to help his life be at least a bit easier. And, hey look at that, he took care of Falcone for me; that'll make my life much easier. I realized only recently that I forgot to change 'Creator' into 'Whitesmith' for this chapter after we changed Kyouya into Alex. I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't bump the rating up a bit for the language and battle scenes, but it doesn't quite seem that violent just yet. Oh, yeah, for a theme song this time we'll use the Theme of Lutie - Snow in My Heart song for the musical setting. It seemed appropriate, being that they finally made it to the town.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: The More, the Merrier**  
The bell atop the door to the Lutie Inn rang cheerily as four wayward adventurers and an icy wolf cub entered. A High Priest and a Whitesmith supported a High Wizard who seemed to just barely be able to travel while an Assassin Cross brought up the rear, the Garm Baby trailing behind him sniffing everything inquisitively.

The innkeeper looked up and smiled. "A fine mornin' to ya, lads," he greeted them merrily, "And what kin I be doin' fer ya today?"

Shujiri walked up and placed a hefty pouch of zeny on the counter. "We'd like four beds, please. Doesn't matter how many rooms they're in; we just need a place to let our friend finish healing."

Jeliel gaped, pointing an accusing finger at the Assassin Cross. "I am NOT sleeping in the same room as any of you hooligans!"

Shujiri glanced over his shoulder. "It seems to me that I'm paying for the rooms. No one asked for your two zeny, so hush up and let daddy do business."

Jeliel glared furiously, but as he had no money of his own to pay for a room, fell silent.

"This be much more'n enough fer four beds, m'boy." the innkeeper said, hefting the bag.

"Yes, but we'll be having the gnawing wonder over there staying with us, too." Shujiri pointed over his shoulder at Tyr, who was busy chewing on the leg of a stool. Tyr glanced up at him and grinned through a mouthful of wood, showing rows of sharp teeth. "This is to pay for any damages, and to assure you if it's not enough, I can cover whatever needs to be covered, plus extra." Shujiri added with a smile.

"Ah. Methinks I catch yer drift." The innkeeper slid two keys across the counter. "Top o' the stairs, the two rooms on the left. One's slightly bigger'n the other, so ya should have plenty of room fer yer pup, too."

Shujiri nodded, taking the keys. "Much obliged." He turned to his friends. "Let's go, guys." He started heading up the stairs.

"Uhm..Shujiri?" Zira's voice came from behind him, sounding uncertain.

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"I don't think Alex and I can get up the stairs while carrying Jeliel. And your little pest fell asleep in front of the fire." an annoyed Zira jerked a thumb over his shoulder at this to emphasize his point.

Shujiri glanced over at Tyr, who was lying belly-up in front of the fire place, snoring. A small puddle had begun to form beneath his back already. Sighing, he walked over, rolled the pup onto his belly, then grabbed him around the waist with his left arm, effortlessly lifting him. He then walked over to Zira and Alex, wrapping his right arm around Jeliel's waist. With this, he threw him over his shoulder.

"HEY! I'm not luggage!" he cried indignantly as Shujiri tromped up the stairs, carrying easily 300 pounds between the two bodies. Zira and Alex just looked at each other and shrugged, following him up the stairs.

Shujiri looked over his shoulder at Alex. "Get the keys from my pocket, would ya? Just watch out for my knives."

Zira smiled at the unfortunate 'Smith and, matching the smile with a mock glare of his own, Alex cautiously reached into Shujiri's pocket and got the keys. He opened the first door on the left, which revealed a relatively small room, though still big enough to house two decently sized beds and a small fireplace. The next room was twice as big but was furnished the same, except it had a larger fireplace, a throw rug in the center of the room where a table also sat, and four chairs placed around it.

"Let's sit in here and discuss our next move." Shujiri walked into the room, plopping the pup onto the rug just a few feet from the fireplace and tossing Jeliel bodily onto the nearest bed.

"I'm not a rag doll to be tossed around!" he growled.

"Be glad I made sure you didn't bounce. Now let daddy get things ready and get a plan together."

"You aren't my father, you jerk."

Shujiri tossed a knife into the headboard of the bed, just above Jeliel's head. "You're the one acting immature about the whole us saving your ass thing. So, unless you want to act like a grown up, I'm daddy. Got it?"

Jeliel turned away, opting to stew in silence, rather than risk getting a dagger tossed at him again.

"Play nice, daddy." Zira said, snickering softly as he sat down at the table.

"Whatever you say, mommy."

Alex had already grabbed some wood from the pile next to the fireplace and started up a nice size fire. Tyr had rolled himself in his sleep back into the same position he'd been in downstairs, so that it looked like he'd never moved. Alex sat at the table next to Zira, across from Shujiri who had also sat down.

"So what's the plan, pops?" Alex asked.

Shujiri rested his chin on his hand, staring at the table as he thought. "We still have allies to find. I get the feeling there's more to this reincarnation than before. We've got more time until Satan Morroc revives fully than we did previously. We need to be prepared."

Jeliel almost fell out of the bed. "_That's_ your final goal? You want to take on _SATAN MORROC_? You people are crazier than I thought! No one's ever taken him on and lived to tell about it."

The three adventurers at the table looked at him, then went back to their discussion as if he hadn't even spoke.

"You don't even have a decent magic user in your little group. An Assassin, a Priest, and a Whitesmith. How the Helheim are you going to defend against magical attacks? Or exploit magic weaknesses?"

Again, nothing from the three at the table. The discussion continued.

The door to the room opened slowly. A head peeked in and asked, "Excuse me; did I hear correctly? Are you going after Satan Morroc?"

Shujiri, Alex, and Zira looked up at the new occupant of the room, and Shujiri smiled brightly.

"Welcome! Come on in!" Shujiri's smile turned into a wide grin as the newcomer ventured into the room slowly, his dark blue bangs falling over his right eye just slightly. "And yes, you did hear us right. Our eventual plan is to take on Satan Morroc; we're currently gathering companions to do just that. Please, have a seat."

The man sat down between Alex and Shujiri. "You do know that few dare even think of such a thing, and even fewer live to tell about it. That's from just trying to fully revive him, no less."

The Professor sitting before them was the picture of academia, his auburn hair slightly disheveled as he was more interested in his studies and research than appearances. Light bags under his eyes showed he only slept when his body deemed it absolutely necessary and intelligent crimson-coloured eyes studied the team from behind wire-frame glasses, which he pushed farther up his nose. His blood red professor's uniform was immaculate, however - a noticeable contradiction to the rest of his appearance.

"Indeed. Which is why we aren't going about this haphazardly. We're building a team of varied talents in order to kill him."

"Kill? Not just wound and drive him back? One would assume to continue doing what works, yes? Not to mention that it provides more chances to study him."

"Ah, but what's the sense of study if the entire world is wiped from existence? After all, driving him back was the procedure in the last world, too." Shujiri watched the Scholar perk at the mention of a previous world, scribbling something in the leather-bound book in his hands. He continued, "All driving him back does is provide more time for him to gain strength. He doesn't show his true strength until he's wounded anyway. You honestly think the continental guard would be enough to push him back if he used his full strength? He destroyed Morroc with a _thought_."

The man considered this, and Zira spoke up. "Satan Morroc is a multidimensional being. He exists in multiple worlds simultaneously, Falcone. Think about it."

The Priest and Professor both started at the name. Jeliel and Alex looked questioningly at the blonde, while Shujiri just smiled knowingly.

"How did you know my name?" Falcone asked.

"I- I'm not sure." Zira confessed, brows furrowed.

"It's because you were one of our number in the previous life." Shujiri responded. He made a vague motion indicating the blonde. "Zira is quickly recovering his memories of that life - faster than the others."

"And what of you, my dear killer? If what you say is true, then how are your memories coming back?" The Professor seemed equal parts intrigued and doubtful. His pen was poised over his book, just in case something worthwhile might come out of this conversation.

"Coming back?" Shujiri raised one eyebrow. "They never left, my friend. I have retained all of my memories and skills throughout my rebirths because Freya decided it should be that way."

The pen clattered to the table, mere moments before Falcone's jaw followed it. "You are saying you yourself have seen the goddess Freya? In person?"

Shujiri nodded.

"You do realize most people would call you insane for even suggesting such a thing."

"Ah, but you won't, will you? The possibility is much too intriguing for you. You can't stop thinking of the possibilities if you were to prove such a thing - not only the existence of the gods, but that reincarnation is possible, if improbable. You'd much rather press me for information, scribbling down every word that comes out of my mouth for further reflection later. Analyzing and sub-analyzing every possibility. How am I doing so far? I could go on to discuss your method if you like. Odin knows I watched you go through your researches often enough." Shujiri folded his arms across his chest and gave the professor a level stare.

Falcone's mouth opened and closed a few times, all trace of boredom or tiredness gone from his face, replaced by a mix of bewilderment and disbelief. "It just seems so-"

"Unreal, but familiar?" Alex suggested.

Falcone nodded. "Indeed. This feels like it isn't the first time we've had this conversation, and yet I know I've never seen any of you before."

"This is our third or fourth rebirth, though it has only been in this most recent reincarnation that Freya revealed herself to me. When the last world was destroyed, I floated through an endless void, bereft of body. Freya herself pulled me back into the land of the living, through her garden in Valhalla." Shujiri's eyes stared off into the distance as he remembered the glory of what he'd seen.

Falcone was already scribbling. "What was it like? What was _she_ like? Details, man, _details_!"

Shujiri chuckled. "In due time, my friend. For now I'll just say her garden made all gardens in Rune-Midgard look like weed patches. Now, back to the task at hand: how to find the rest of our friends. There's one we need to track down I'm sure you'll be pretty happy to have back, too." He turned to Falcone. "And I'm assuming we can count you as part of the group now?"

"Indeed. So, what is your current plan of action?"

"Good, now we have another magic user! As for our plan of action, we're not sure. I don't want to stray too far from Lutie. I'm fairly certain our friends will eventually make their own way here. After all, this was the place where we hung out when we weren't doing anything and it's where we planned all our adventures. They will be drawn here." The blue-haired man paused, and sighed. "The question is when. Besides that, we can't do much until Jeliel is healed."

"That's right." Jeliel grumbled, glaring at the others.

Shujiri glanced at him. "Yes, because as much as we'd like to sometimes, we can't leave you on your own in the middle of these frozen wastes. We saw how well that worked out before we even found you."

"And meanwhile, what's this new one going to do - Cold Bolt Satan Morroc to death? He can't use any of the more useful magic, like Lord of Vermillion!"

Falcone raised his hand, an amused smile forming on his lips. "Ah, but I can make your Lord of Vermillion useless with Land Protector. Satan Morroc can do much the same with his spells, as well; anything that targets an area instead of a single target will be harmless. I'm afraid that means my Cold Bolt would be quite useful in a situation like that." Falcone smiled pleasantly.

Shujiri and the others let that sink in for a moment. "One word. Owned."

Jeliel flushed in embarrassment for a moment, aggravated at the turn the conversation had taken. "Then I'll just have to show you. I'll make you see just how useful I can be; I'm coming with you until you admit it."

Shujiri shrugged. "If you insist." The table again turned away from Jeliel, who rolled over in his bed to brood while the conversation continued.

"May I present a course of action while we await the others?" Falcone asked.

"Fire away."

"I propose we go investigate the Toy Factory. The monsters in there have been acting strange of late. They're much more aggressive than usual, and have even frequently been seen to attack the areas of Lutie immediately surrounding the entrance to the factory, without provocation. As they don't normally leave the confines of the factory, the townspeople are worried. I, personally, would like to study the monsters and try to determine what is causing this abnormality."

Tyr had woken up during this explanation, and now set his head in Shujiri's lap, letting out a strange mixture of a whine and a growl. Shujiri's eyes focused on the pup's for a few moments, before Shujiri quietly said, "Hmm...I suppose that is possible."

Falcone looked perplexed, while the others waited patiently, knowing what was going on. "What's possible?" he inquired.

Shujiri looked up, remembering the other men in the room. "Oh, sorry; Tyr says he thinks whatever is affecting the monsters in the Toy Factory is the same thing that screwed up the minds of his mother and siblings."

"You can understand his thoughts?" Falcone had whipped out his pen and notebook again.

Shujiri nodded. "Yes; Garm bound him to me. Eventually he'll be able to project his thoughts on his own as she did, but for now only I can understand him."

"Fascinating!" The pen was scribbling again. "So you actually spoke with Garm? I'd always assumed she was just a very powerful ice wolf, I'd never considered that she was sentient. Can you tell me more?"

Shujiri chuckled. "Yes, old friend. I'll tell you the whole story. It'll take a while, though."

"Then that's my cue. I'm going to the other room. I don't want to sit through another of your boring stories." Jeliel sat up in the bed.

Zira spoke up in alarm. "Careful! I don't think you should walk on your own yet!"

"I'm fine you ignorant Priest." Jeliel almost, _almost_ felt bad when the blonde flinched and looked down at his words, but focused his attention on trying to stand. He promptly fell sideways, but Alex was already there supporting him.

"I'll take him to the other room." Alex offered gently to Zira as he started to get up to help. "I should be able to support him on my own, Zee. He seems to be able to hold up some of his own weight now, anyway. Guess I'll sleep in there tonight, too. I'm kinda tired, and I'm gonna have to get up early and check all our equipment and do any necessary repairs if we're heading to the Toy Factory. Night, all."

With that he headed out the door, half dragging Jeliel with him, who grumbled the whole way.

Shujiri spent the rest of the night, into the wee hours of the morning recalling the events that had led the group to where they were now, step by step (with only occasional input and corrections from Zira.) Falcone retired to his room shortly before sunrise, as the men all knew they should get at least a few hours sleep before the expedition into the factory the next morning.  
**To Be Continued...**


	16. Home Sweet Home?

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** omfg spell check had a blast with this one; I can't tell you how amusing the sentences were when I put in what it recommended for the words it saw "misspelled." xD It was so awesome. I don't really have a theme set up for this one, but we'll just pretend it's Good Morning. I have no idea where that song plays, but it's in the bgm folder and now it's on my mp3 player, so we'll go with that. Pharin gets to prove he's useful for more than making jabs at everyone in this one. He's not as bad as we make him out to be, I promise; he's actually very considerate of his creator's well-being and as you can tell from the sprinklings of sensitivity he's shown through his parts of the story so far, I wanted to convey that at least a little so he wouldn't receive as harsh a welcome from readers as he otherwise might have (like on my dA account, where I've gotten a couple of notes saying that they'd kill him and make a new homunculus if they were me. xD) I love the little guy, I really do.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: ****Home, Sweet Home?**  
After a relatively long (and somewhat peaceful) trek along the path towards Amatsu, during which there had only been three more attempts on Pharin's life by Jackel and Dmitri, the travelers finally made it back to the beautiful, oriental-styled town. They had been fortunate enough to only run into a few minor monsters along the way- a few Porings, a Poporing, and the occasional Thief Bug -that proved no threat to them.

Sahari had felt the need to make quick work of the creatures she called "jellies." Dmitri had explained her obsession with cute things suffering, and they all decided unanimously to let the matter drop. For his part, Pharin seemed to be the only other one not disturbed by the revelation.

Taking in the fresh air of the pristine town, Jackel's eyes slid shut for a moment as his hands made their way to his hips, smiling. "Ain't nothin' like fresh air t' make ya feel like a new man, eh?" he said, looking back at his companions.

Ghebriel gave the man a small smile of his own, in the process of feeding Pharin the garlet he'd promised him from his palm. "This town is beautiful; there's no doubt about that. The kindness of its people stands as incontestable proof to it." he replied.

"Inco-whutable now?" Jackel's brow furrowed as he turned to stare at the Biochemist.

"Phe m'ns 'f'n y'c'n' 'rgoo w'f 't." Pharin piped in, beak stuffed with his current meal and making him indiscernible.

Jackel's brow arched at this. "If'n ya say so, bird." Turning to look at Ghebriel expectantly, he asked, "Whut'd the dern thing jus' say? I cain't un'erstand a blasted word outta the li'l pig's beak!"

Without even the time for anyone to blink, Pharin was off his master's hand and mercilessly attacking Jackel's skull like a woodpecker, tweeting indignantly in between hits. "I'll show you-" Peck. "-Pig, you no-class-" Peck, peck, peck. "-Cowring paddy!" Peck, peck, peck, peck. "Retard here thinks pigs have beaks! Ha!" PECK.

"CALL THE DERN THING OFF'A ME!" Jackel yelled, waving his arms at the bird but missing each time. Pharin's combined speed and size (or the lack thereof for the latter) was too good an asset when the Gunslinger couldn't look up to see his target.

Ghebriel sighed as Sahari and Dmitri laughed aloud, Lady Lana giggling quietly behind her hand as she sent an occasional Heal out to Jackel's aid. "Pharin," he called softly, "Come on; knock it off now. I think he gets the point."

With a last vicious peck, this time on the nose, Pharin flew back to Ghebriel's shoulder, feathers ruffled and his chest puffed out. If he'd been bigger, the image would have been almost intimidating. Almost.

Lady Lana cleared her throat, the first to recover from her fit of giggling at Jackel's unfortunate disposition. "Maybe we should get started on what we came for?" she suggested gently, patting his shoulder and casting Heal over him.

"Yeah, guess yer right.." grumbled the Gunslinger, glaring bullets through the bird-shaped creature on the Creator's shoulder that now sat preening his feathers contentedly. "I'm goin' over yonder t' look 'round a while; if y' need me, holler." he said to the others, nodding in the direction he was about to set off in.

"Will do." Dmitri affirmed, already immersed in the beauty of Amatsu and desperately wanting to explore it for a while.

Sahari looked between Dmitri and Jackel, debating for a moment who she would accompany. Jackel might be more fun to go with, but Dmitri was like a parent or sibling to her and it just didn't seem like it would feel right not to tag along with him as she usually did. But then again, he seemed too interested in their surroundings to really mind if she broke away from tradition all that much. So it was settled.

As Jackel, Lady Lana, and Sahari headed off towards a cluster of trees near the right side of the town, Dmitri stood in place for a few moments longer. His eyes finally gazed around and he noticed that three members of the group had already departed, leaving only himself, Ghebriel, and of course, Pharin.

"I suppose I'll go and have a look around, myself." he said with a smile, the warm and gentle breeze that picked up becoming a welcome addition to the atmosphere around them.

But there was no response.

Turning back to the Creator to see if he was still there, Dmitri noted the reason for his companion's silence. The man stood where he had previously, but this time he was facing the left side of the town, a far off expression on his face. Something seemed to be pulling his attention away from everything else - drawing him to the direction he was now facing. Pharin was studying the light-haired male intently as if he were appraising the situation to decide whether he needed to say anything or not. Not that his input not being necessary had stopped him in the past. And so, the Stalker found that even more unusual.

Without a word Ghebriel set off in the direction his gaze was locked on, steps steady and evenly paced. Whether he was even aware that he was in motion or not was uncertain to the horned bowman, but then again, it didn't seem like it mattered much to the inquisitive youth at the moment.

Glancing around, Dmitri hid himself under Chase Walk and began a slow pace of following the other man, curious as to what could have captured his attention so fully. He would just have to explore later on, and possibly catch up to the others then as well.

Pharin took one glance over at the place Dmitri had stood and watched the almost invisible tracks behind them trail along after them as they went, but said nothing. If the Stalker was curious, then as long as he didn't bother them too much, he didn't really see any reason to have to stop him. He was a known and trusted ally, after all.

It was a relatively short walk to the building Ghebriel stopped in front of, but it was located away from most of the other places in town. The home was tucked away on the far left side of Amatsu, almost out of the way for anyone who wasn't specifically looking for it. This suggested to Dmitri that it was someone's home, although it seemed to be more or less empty at the moment. What intrigued him the most was why Ghebriel had felt a pull to this place. Maybe he'd been here before they met and had forgotten something? That didn't seem right..

Before he'd realized it, ten minutes had come and gone since their arrival to the quaint wooden home and Ghebriel finally spoke up. His words were clearly directed to the Filir perched on his shoulder. "What are we doing here?" The man's voice dripped with anxious confusion, uncertain as to when they'd arrived or why they'd come. It felt familiar, but he had never been here before. Had he? "What is this place?"

Pharin was silent for a few moments, but when Ghebriel took a single, hesitant step forward and placed his hand on the railing of the steps to inspect it, he replied in a soft and gentle tone, "It's home."  
**To Be Continued...**


	17. Home is Where the Heart is

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** Haaaa, you know you love me for that cliffhanger last time. In my defense, I hadn't intended to end it there; I wrote it at work and was about to continue on with it, but it was almost three in the morning and I had to get started on my list of chores before the manager came in. (The graveyard shift. Yay.) Again, I have no real theme for it; I'm going with TeMPlatonic since it has a tender feel to it. I've never heard it play anywhere, but it's in the bgm folder so I'm using it. (Sorry to the non-yaoi fans, but this is how it's been set up for several servers and rp skits, now. Take comfort in the fact that at least there won't be anything like what Kara or I usually write in this for them. xD) Finally, before we get started, I've forgotten to mention; Tet/Seph/Shuji, when mentioned in the author's notes, are all the same person - they're just different nicknames. He'll be responsible for the chapter after this one as well as a few before, where noted.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: ****Home is Where the Heart is  
**Ghebriel and Dmitri's attention immediately shifted to the small creature, and Dmitri revealed his presence although it seemed to make no difference to the man in front of him.

_Home.._

Though Ghebriel knew he'd never been here, he couldn't deny that the place had a pull to it that made him feel welcome and secure. It was a truly wonderful feeling - one that was rare now that he was out on his own and away from the protective gaze of his father's Lif, Mistletoe.

But as much as the pull seemed tempting, it also felt somewhat empty. It felt like a hollow promise of happiness because something was missing. That much was apparent to the youth in lavender-lilac clothing. But what?

"How do you know that?" Ghebriel inquired, lifting his hand to the homunculus on his shoulder and stroking its head absently.

Again, Pharin was silent for a few moments. He looked to be gathering his thoughts for a response, and at length, he gave his reply to the waiting pair. "We used to live here." He saw the Creator open his mouth to speak but cut him off, saying, "Not _HERE_ here. On Void. We lived here on Void. It was where we came back to every day. I found the place abandoned and since we needed somewhere to crash, I figured we'd might as well stay here. We just never ended up leaving it."

Dmitri cocked his head to one side, studying the Filir. Void? The name sounded familiar, yes, but its meaning was just out of reach - like a name on the tip of the tongue that you know up to the point that you're asked about it. It eluded his grasp as if he were reaching for strands of sunlight. How did the small creature know so much about it? And why couldn't he or Ghebriel remember what Pharin seemed to recall so clearly?

Sensing the confusion wafting thick on the breeze, Pharin sighed inwardly and flapped his wings once to situate himself better. This had the potential to be a very long conversation, and he wanted to be comfortable if he was going to have to explain everything they wanted to know.

Sure enough, Ghebriel voiced his concern right on time. "That's the third time you've mentioned that place, but I can't remember anything about it." He paused, brow furrowed. That didn't sound right, a small part of his mind told him, but he let that go for the moment in favour of getting a response and hopefully making things seem clearer. "How do you know so much about it when I don't?"

Okay, Pharin grudgingly admitted to himself, so that one stumped him. He wasn't sure why his master couldn't remember anything about his past life. He did, so why shouldn't he? Or should the question be, why would _he_?

There was no point in dragging the moment on when he didn't have an answer, and he knew that making something up wouldn't work on Ghebriel, so he answered with the plain, simple truth. "No idea. For whatever reason, you dolts don't seem to have any recollection of the past besides what's happened in this life already. No point in trying to pull the wool over your eyes and lie, because it wouldn't work. It never has."

Ghebriel seemed to accept the answer for what it meant and moved on with his next question. "What was it like..?" Though his voice was quieter than it had been previously, he was just as desperate to know the answer to this question as he was for the others.

"You guys all loved it. We had a lot of pals there and everybody was really close. Nobody had a closer relationship with you than that Professor, though. I don't think it would've been possible; you guys were practically attached at the hip."

The mention of that class struck a note in the light-eyed man's mind and, for a moment, he felt as if his heart were about to leap out of his chest. He couldn't understand why it affected him so much, but Pharin had alluded that there had been some kind of very close bond between them, so that might explain it. Apparently his memories weren't completely gone; they were just dormant somewhere in the recesses of his mind, waiting for the right keys to unlock the doors that held the information he should know.

"Professor?" Dmitri asked, speaking up for the first time since their arrival.

"That's what I said, retard." snapped Pharin, but the bite that was usually in his words was absent. "The guy's name was Hawk or Eagle or something like that; he lived here with-"

Ghebriel furrowed his brow further, cutting in. "That doesn't sound right, Pharin."

Pharin did his best impression of snorting at the comment. "You would know." His chest puffed, hoping he wouldn't have to go into detail on what he meant this time. His master was one of the most intelligent people he'd ever come upon, but he could admittedly be more than a bit dense when it came to personal matters. He cared for the kook and all that, yes, but sometimes he just made him want to pluck his feathers out!

Dmitri's expression became one of slight understanding, although he wasn't sure he had understood the Filir's words the way they were intended. The lean male stepped forward to stand beside Ghebriel for a moment. After a few seconds he moved forward again, looking through one of the windows. This confirmed his suspicion that the house didn't currently have any residents, but he wasn't sure why; it was a lovely building from the looks of things, and it was in such a beautiful, scenic town.

"It's a nice place." Pharin put in, seemingly reading what was going through Dmitri's mind. "Kinda creepy that it seems to be the same way it was on Void, though."

Ghebriel chuckled slightly, his heart only half in the action as he moved forward and opened the door. Once inside, his eyes fell shut as he let the feeling of comfort and familiarity wash over him. If he listened closely enough, he could swear he heard the sounds of tea being made and pages being turned, or the gentle creaking of springs as soft snoring reached his ears. The longer his eyes were closed, the more familiar the place felt to him - almost as if he could recite everything that had happened in it. A few moments more and he could feel a pair of protective arms wrap firmly about his waist and pull him further inside towards the center of the room.

However, when at last he opened his eyes, there was no one in the house but himself and Pharin, and the arms around him were his own as he stood in the middle of the floor.

A loud cough broke the seeming spell of silence that had fallen upon the three, and they turned to the door to see who was there.

Jackel rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around and feeling awkward for interrupting what seemed to be such a personal moment. "'M I bargin' in on somethin' I ain't supposed'a see?" he asked sheepishly, gazing around at the three faces turned to him.

Ghebriel was the first to recover from the surprise, and as much as he almost felt compelled to say otherwise, his typically polite nature brought the reply out before he could. "N- no, sorry. I just- I was..."

Pharin stepped sideways on the man's shoulder as if edging back from him, trying to move further away without having to break physical contact. The waves of embarrassment and conflicting emotions of confusion mingling with certain understanding that were flowing off his creator were almost tangible, and the feelings were hitting him full force at such close proximity. He jumped into the exchange to diffuse the discomfort of the situation, squawking, "Right on time to be unwanted company, retard. Congratulations! I'd give you a prize, but I don't have to go right now, so you'll just have to wait until later for that one."

A sudden jerk of motion had Pharin flapping to regain his balance as the Biochemist began walking towards the door to leave.

"What are you doing, you stupid idiot? Where are you going?" tweeted Pharin, regaining his composure.

"Outside." Ghebriel replied in a soft whisper, his smile taut as his voice wavered slightly. The desperation was only noted by the Filir. "Fresh air would be nice about now."

Pharin gave a sigh and plucked out a loose feather, letting it fall to the ground and watching behind them as it landed soundlessly. "Great, I'm molting now. The stress you idiots cause me is gonna kill me one day, I swear."

"Sorry, Pharin."

"Look, dummy. You obviously don't feel right being here without that guy around. So why don't we see if we can't track him down or something? Maybe you'd get some peace of mind out of it to just meet up with Mister Know-It-All."

"Track down who?" came Sahari's voice from behind them as she uncloaked herself with a grin.

"Don't _do_ that, woman!" Pharin cried out, a wing covering his chest in a mock heart attack gesture of surprise.

"She asks a good question, though," Lady Lana put in, making her way up to them. Dmitri and Jackel were close behind her. "He must be important, judging by the reaction from earlier." She gave a gentle smile.

"How much did you guys hear anyway?" Pharin mumbled. He wasn't really annoyed that they had eavesdropped on the exchange, no; he'd known all of them save for Lana before and so he couldn't find it in him to be offended. He just didn't want to have to explain everything again.

"Eh, 'twas 'nough t' get that y' oughta go find that fella 'n' fig're out where t' go from there," Jackel spoke up with a sheepish smile aimed at Ghebriel.

Ghebriel turned his attention to Pharin again, trying to ignore the embarrassed blush creeping up. "If he's not here, I don't know where he would be, though. I don't even know who he is! Maybe that's fate's way of saying-"

"You don't believe in fate and you know it, you idiot. You geeks always stayed around in Lutie a lot if you weren't here." replied the homunculus.

Sahari beamed at this, throwing her arm around Ghebriel's shoulders as Pharin flew from his perch and landed on top of his head. "Then we'll just have to go to Lutie with you!"  
**To Be Continued...**


	18. Stormy Reunions

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** This one was done by Shuji, and finally ties in two groups of characters. He was a "little" reluctant to do the scene for Falcone and Ghebriel, but with a bit of cow-prodder-style prodding (and convincing him to think of Ghebriel as a girl for a bit...*facepalm*) the issue was resolved. Ahh, the beginning of young love...Two sets of it, as a matter of fact. Or should it be three...? Hm. See if you can't pick out where the other one is, because I'm not giving it away. :D It is -entirely- possible otouto will kill me for it, but the theme to this chapter (yes, only one, even though there are separate time frames in it) is Jingle Bell on Ragnarok (as heard in Toy Factory, level 2.) If this isn't the longest chapter so far, it's certainly one -of- them. xD

**RoChronicles**

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**Chapter Sixteen: Stormy Reunions**  
Ghebriel and his companions trudged tiredly into the Lutie Inn, more than a little happy at the prospect of a warm room and a hot meal.

"Well, ya look like ya could use a nice, stiff drink, the lot'a ya." The innkeeper said cheerily.

"I reckon th' man's got a point." Jackel grinned, happily shaking the snow off his shoulders (and onto Pharin, who flapped his wings in indignation to remove it as he glared at the Gunslinger) and going over to the bar counter. "Gimme a pint'a the strongest, meanest drink y' got, barkeep'!"

"Aye, comin' up." The innkeeper disappeared behind the counter long enough to pull out a clean glass and a bottle full of a liquid that smelled like some of the volatile chemicals Ghebriel worked with. Jackel eyed it appreciatively and downed it in one gulp, ordering another before the first had fully made its way down his throat.

Ghebriel walked up to the counter close on Jackel's heels, biting his lower lip slightly when the innkeeper-turned-bar tender turned his attention on him. "You wouldn't happen to have any rooms open, would you? Two would be good, though one would suffice."

The innkeeper refilled Jackel's glass, the gunman draining it almost as fast as it filled and requesting another refill. "'Fraid not, friend. Group about the same size as yers came in just yesterday. Took me last two rooms." Ghebriel's shoulders slumped a bit, and he continued, "Yer more'n welcome ta stay here in the common room and have a few drinks, though. Long as ya got the coin, o' course."

"Of course. Don't worry; we can certainly pay for anything we need. We were hoping for a few beds for the night, though. Any idea when this other group is leaving?"

"Not a clue. They paid more'n enough for a few nights, but they dinnae seem too intent on stayin' long. Matter o' fact, they walked out just a few hours ago with that scholarly fella. Name like a bird, 'e 'ad."

Ghebriel's head shot up, surprised. "I'm sorry...What was that?"

"The group that came in left just a bit 'fore ya got here. They left with the Scholar who's been stayin' 'ere fer a few weeks. Been holed up in 'is room, mutterin' to 'imself 'bout the effects o' some demon's energies on local monsters, er some such. Didn't understand half o' wot 'e said. But he kept payin', so I dinnae ask any questions."

Pharin piped up from his perch on Ghebriel's shoulder, "Sounds just like the Mister Know-It-All we know and you love." He shot a look to his master at this, measuring the reaction. "Looks like this trip might not have been a total waste of time after all, retard."

Ghebriel barely acknowledged what Pharin said. The way the man had described this Scholar struck a chord somewhere deep inside him. It was so familiar that it shouldn't have surprised him, but it did. "When do you think they'll be back?"

"Ain't gotta clue. Ya look a might pale, friend. Yer another o' 'em scholarly types, ain't'cha? Well, mayhaps ya oughta sit down."

Ghebriel placed his hands on the counter to brace himself a bit and pleaded, soft voice urgent, "May we stay here? I would really like to meet these people; we have our own bedding, and we'll sleep on the floor here, if need be."

The innkeeper was about to decline on the grounds of making sure his bar was available to any other customers, but a combination of the tab that Jackel was steadily racking up and the desperate look in Ghebriel's eyes made him change his mind. Even Pharin seemed a little surprised at how Ghebriel was reacting.

Just a little.

"I s'pose. Long as yer willin' ta pay normal room prices."

Ghebriel seemed to visibly relax, a smile ghosting across his face. "Thank you very much."

Sahari called over from the table nearest the fire where the rest of the group was slowly defrosting, "Ghebriel, where's our drinks?"

Ghebriel jumped, and realized he'd forgotten to order. "Oh, right! Uhm, three pints of spiced mead, and two hot cocoas for the minor and myself."

"DAMNIT, GHEBRIEL, QUIT TREATING ME LIKE A KID!" Sahari yelled across the room, causing everyone else at the table to laugh.

**_Elsewhere.._**

"Presents!" Shujiri screamed as he leaped out of the shadows and grabbed the top of a Myst Case. He yanked off the top and looked inside, promptly receiving a boxing glove to the face which sent him flying across the Toy Factory.

Falcone sighed and let loose a Lightning Bolt which shredded the box-shaped monster into a million pieces. "You might want to look before you leap next time, Shujiri; things aren't what they seem here."

Shujiri sat up and rubbed his face as Tyr pounced onto his chest to check if he was alright. "Oww...Well, why are they dressed up like presents?" A bullet whizzed past his head and he threw a poison dagger at the Cruiser that had fired it, nailing it between the eyes. The Cruiser twitched and fell over, dead.

"You know, you'd think that with you being the one who remembers everything of our former lives, you'd know what a Myst Case is, Shujiri." Zira chided, a blast of holy energy decimating the next Myst Case as it slowly made its way towards them to investigate the commotion.

"Gasp! They've caught on to my wacky hijinks!" Shujiri exclaimed, grinning.

Alex wiped the gore off his axe, a Cookie split in two at his feet. Sarcastically, he asked, "Oh, no; whatever will you do?"

An ear-splitting roar echoed off the walls of the toy factory and a yellowish spear with a tip shaped like a lightning bolt narrowly missed impaling Alex from behind as he spun to face this new threat. A nasty gash opened along his ribs as the spear flew under his left arm and stuck into the ground at the feet of Jeliel, who had managed to jump back barely in time to avoid also being run through.

Shujiri jumped up and exclaimed "I'm gonna ride him!" pointing at the reindeer-man charging down from atop the mounds of toys and boxes, clad in icy blue armor. His nose was bulbous and red, almost like a clown's. But that was the only thing remotely funny about the twelve foot tall creature called Stormy Knight, the Knight of Windstorm, who was charging at them. Several red and green clad goblins followed him, giggling maniacally. As he was almost on top of them, a gusting wind with icy shards flying enveloped the adventurers, battering them with chilly shrapnel.

"That's not a Storm Gust! _This_ is a _Storm Gust_!" Jeliel shouted as he let loose his own spell, the magical energies coursing through his body and out through his arms to create storm clouds which dwarfed the ones created by the monster.

Stormy plowed through the wind and ice like it was nothing, not even slightly affected by it. The massive creature leaped at Alex who rolled out of the way, swinging his axe at Stormy's exposed leg, but missing. Stormy grabbed his spear and thrust at Zira who had been trying in vain to heal Alex. Zira's scythe deflected the blow and he used it to swing over the spear and fling himself in the direction of his wounded comrade, who was using his axe to cleave through the seemingly endless hoards of goblins, added by bolts from Falcone and Jeliel. Shujiri leaped atop Stormy's shoulders as the creature moved to swing his spear at Zira again.

Grabbing hold of Stormy's antlers, Shujiri shouted "Hi-ho, Rudolf! Away!" and swung his legs about, obviously having fun. Quick as a Lightning Bolt the spear flew towards Shujiri's head, who ducked under it and grabbed the shaft as he kicked hard against Stormy's head. The creature was dazed for a moment, then roared and flung Shujiri across the factory.

"_Lord of Vermillion_!" Jeliel's voice rang out, and a massive column of lightning doused Stormy and his minions. Though initially they didn't seem affected too badly, the sheer force of the assault caused most of them to fall over, dead before they hit the ground. However, Stormy simply stood there, the wind and electricity crackling across his armour. It almost sounded as though he sighed in pleasure.

The creature roared and let loose another barrage of Storm Gusts. The winds were even more powerful than those they encountered when fighting Garm, and the comrades were blown about like rag dolls.

"_Land Protector_!" Falcone shouted, calm and sure, as the mystical energies coursing through his body created an area that nullified all of the storm clouds. Shujiri and Alex took the opening and started trading blows with the creature, each strike stronger than the last and all barely able to be followed by the naked eye. "Jeliel, it looked like he absorbed your lightning-based spells. While the others have him distracted, let's see how he likes a taste of our Earth Spike!"

Jeliel's eyes glinted with pleasure at the idea, and both of the magic wielders started casting their spells.

"Augh!" Shujiri cried out in pain as Stormy's spear pierced his thigh and pinned him to the wall. He started throwing venomous knives but they barely scratched the knight's armour.

Jeliel and Falcone called out in unison - "_Earth Spike_!" - and the ground beneath Stormy Knight trembled as Zira ran to help Shujiri. Suddenly, spears of solid rock shot out of the earth in rapid succession, impaling Stormy's legs and torso. The creature screamed in pain and rage and tried to get at the spell casters, but it was too late.

Alex leaped into the air from behind him, one of his custom forged earth elemental axes in hand, as Shujiri rushed in from the front, limping slightly and brandishing his Katar of Quaking. Shujiri drove his blades into Stormy's chest as Alex's axe came down on his head. The massive creature tensed and seemed as if it was going to attack again, then quietly collapsed into a heap. Its body slowly faded away, breaking down into a fine covering of snow which blew across the factory floor by some unseen wind.

The remaining goblins collapsed and died. Without the power flowing from their master, their lives ended instantly.

Shujiri sighed and climbed down the rocky javelins still sticking out of the ground. "Well, that was more painful than I thought it would be. Oh, well; all's well that ends well."

Zira smacked him upside the head. "No! No, it's not! Just what the bloody Helheim were you thinking, jumping up on his shoulders and riding him like some kind of pony? And you were fooling around so much you got stuck in the leg with his spear! Is this what so many rebirths have come to? You're a bloody _clown_ now? Maybe you should go switch jobs!" He stomped off towards the others, calling back without turning around, "I'm not healing that leg for you, either!" And with that, he left to attend to the rest of the party's injuries.

"Wow, I really pissed 'im off, didn't I?" Shujiri asked Tyr, who sat down next to him as he flopped onto the floor, wincing at the pain in his leg.

_Well, you really were acting like an idiot. Maybe you should start taking things more seriously. How are you going to fight Satan Morroc with this kind of attitude?_

"I know, I know." Shujiri sighed and patted the little wolf's head.

_I felt the same evil force flowing from Stormy that was controlling Mama..._

"I figured as much. Stormy's always been one to pick a fight, but never one to attack an unaware opponent. I just wish we could've saved him, like we did your mother."

_I don't think it was possible; his mind was too far gone. All that was left was the rage and hatred of Satan Morroc. This was the only way to release him._

"Doesn't mean I have to like it. Help me up, would you?"

Tyr stood and supported Shujiri's weight as he hefted himself up, then limped slowly to the others, leaning on Tyr only slightly.

Zira was just finishing healing Alex's side as Shujiri walked up and heard the ending of Falcone's sentence. "...Just slightly disappointed that I didn't have a chance to get any data on my theories. It really is a shame we had to kill him."

"Tyr confirmed your theory, Professor. Satan Morroc's energies warped Stormy's mind to the point where there was nothing of the creature left besides a shell full of hatred and rage. It was the same effect as what happened to Garm. The only reason we were able to save her was because of her love for her pups. Satan Morroc's energies are spreading faster and getting stronger each day. Soon they'll start to affect normal people, and eventually adventurers will even start turning against one another. We don't have much longer. Soon this world will suffer the same fate as the ones before it."

Falcone stared at him, the others seemingly just as confused. "How do you know all of this?"

Shujiri coughed out a bitter laugh. "I lived it. I watched him destroy my home and slaughter my friends. He is evil incarnate, and his only desire is to destroy." He started to limp towards the exit, not saying another word.

The others looked at each other solemnly. Even Jeliel had been rendered speechless for once. Then, slowly, they went to follow him back to town. As they left, Alex lingered behind and picked up Stormy's spear, which remained laying on the ground where Shujiri had dropped it. He carefully wiped off the blood and noticed some words carved into the hilt, barely legible due to age.

"Zephyrus..." Alex read under his breath. He cleaned off the rest of the spear and jogged to catch up with his companions, sticking the spear in his cart, having left it by the entrance of the factory. It might come in handy in the future, and if nothing else, it would fetch a nice price among weapon collectors with a bit of repair. Then he grabbed his cart and followed his companions out the door and into the gently falling snow of the village of Lutie.

**_Later.._**

The group walked solemnly back to Lutie, each man absorbed in his own thoughts. Tyr kept by Shujiri's right side, ready to support him should his leg give out, though that had yet to happen. Alex walked on his left, also ready to lend a hand should the Assassin need it. Jeliel and Falcone were close behind him, one scribbling notes in his notebook and the other staring at the back of the blue clad man in front of him, not sure whether to believe what the professional killer said or not. Zira brought up the rear, still stewing a bit about his friend's behaviour.

As they came to the inn, they slowed and stopped. The inn had been rather quiet when they'd left, but now there was a rowdy, raucous noise coming from the entrance to the inn. It almost sounded like..singing? Shujiri and Tyr went through first, followed closely by Alex, who promptly stopped and blocked the rest of the group from entering as he stared at the spectacle before him.

A rather flamboyant-looking male Gunslinger and a young female Assassin Cross were jumping and..can-canning?..on one of the bar's tables, singing a rowdy song that no one could quite understand from their slurring, but which they seemed to know just fine.

Shujiri gaped open mouthed, before muttering "Odin's beard...I need a drink. This leg wound is making me hallucinate." And he limped over to the bar.

"Oh, my!"

The voice of a woman reached Shujiri's ears as he lowered himself into the seat slowly. A young woman with shoulder length platinum blonde hair, dressed in the white robes of a High Priestess rushed over to him. Shujiri was struck by how beautiful the woman was, but couldn't bring himself to speak.

"You're injured! Here, let me help." She said as she gently laid her hand over the wound in his thigh and began invoking a healing spell.

Zira and Jeliel had managed to squeeze past Alex, who was still staring dumbly at the pair dancing and singing atop the table.

Zira glanced at the platinum blonde who was healing Shujiri's leg and muttered just loud enough for him to hear, "Guess you got lucky that there was another healer here, hmm?" With this, he walked back to the stairs to go up to their rooms.

The Priestess glanced at his retreating back and then turned back to her work, face flushed with anger. "Does he normally ignore people in need like that?"

"No, no..." Shujiri cleared his throat, glad for the topic of conversation so he could focus on that, rather than the lovely woman healing his leg. "Though in all honesty, I did deserve it. I was fooling around and taking risks I shouldn't have."

Finishing up, she looked up and smiled. "How's that feel? Better?"

Shujiri stood and moved his leg as she removed her hands. "Much better. I feel like I could run a marathon!" He grinned and bowed, "I thank ye very much, milady. My name is Shujiri, and my irate companion upstairs is Zira." A Creator walked up to them as he pointed to Alex and Jeliel, who were now applauding the dancing pub-goers and requesting an encore, Jeliel more out of sarcasm than anything. "And the audience members over there are Alex and Jeliel." Shujiri glanced at the 'Chemist, a glint of recognition in his eyes, but he held his tongue. "And might I ask your names?"

Tyr growled indignantly from beside him and Lana jumped, noticing him for the first time. "Oh, how could I forget? This is my loyal companion, Tyr." Tyr gave a little wolf grin and nuzzled Lana's hand. She smiled and reached down to pat his head. "Huh, looks like he likes you. Odd - the only person he's shown any interest in besides me has been Zira, and that seems more like an interest in torture to me." Tyr's barking chuckle served as all the confirmation they needed to know..

The Creator spoke up and in a naturally soft voice, said, "I'm Ghebriel, and this is the lovely Lady Lana. Our dancing cohorts are Jackel and Sahari. The one snoring at the table by the fire is Dmitri."

The Filir on Ghebriel's shoulder chirped. "So, ass-ass-in. Not gonna ask about me?"

Shujiri smiled mischievously. "Why should I ask about my next meal, my fine, feathered friend?"

The blue creature tweeted indignantly, but almost seemed to smile, even with a beak. Ghebriel wondered about this odd exchange, but decided to ignore it for now.

"The rude one on my shoulder is Pharin." Ghebriel said with a gentle sigh.

"I figured." Shujiri said cryptically, but dodged Ghebriel's next question by saying, "How drunk are those two? The girl doesn't look like she's even old enough to order a drink, let alone keep one down."

Ghebriel let his own question fade away unformed, and looked at his companions. "We're honestly not sure if she even _is_ drunk. Either she snuck some of Jackel's drinks, or she's just playing along for the sake of it. Either way, it might be best not try to stop her. She tends to get rather irate when someone interrupts her fun. Jackel, however, is very thoroughly plowed. He's put away so much of the innkeeper's bourbon that I was sure he'd have died from alcohol poisoning an hour ago."

Shujiri laughed merrily and said, "Trust me. His reputation is much worse than the real thing, if memory serves."

Ghebriel and Shujiri went around the room, introducing everyone to everyone else save Dmitri, who was still asleep, and Zira, who had retired to the room for the night. Jeliel excused himself for the night as soon as introductions were done, having lost interest in the drunken spectacle going on in the middle of the room. Mostly it was because his taunts were only encouraging them to act up more.

At length, the light-haired Biochemist cleared his throat and addressed Shujiri. "You must be the group the innkeeper told us about. He'd mentioned that there was a Professor traveling with you. Is that true? I would like very much to meet him."

Shujiri smiled knowingly. "Yes, I imagine you would. Our friend is waiting just outside the door, likely scribbling away into his notebook."

The bells atop the door rang as if on cue and the door opened. Falcone walked inside, his eyes still on the paper. "Shujiri, do you think you could ask Tyr-..." the Professor trailed off when he glanced up, taking note of the Creator next to Shujiri.

Shujiri stepped aside, motioning towards the man by his side. "Falcone, this is Ghebriel; Ghebriel, Falcone." He turned to the Priestess at his side and took her arm gently, nodding towards the other side of the room. "Would you do me the honour of keeping me company while these two get acquainted?"

With a soft giggle, Lady Lana acquiesced and the two set off, leaving Falcone and Ghebriel to their own devices.

Falcone stared open-mouthed at the slighter male before him. "I- I know you. From where...?" He walked closer to the ponytailed Alchemist, not quite sure what to do with his hands. He felt like he should reach out and embrace this man and never let go, but he knew he'd never met him before...Had he? His mind said no, but his heart...

Ghebriel's reaction was much the same. He longed for the red-haired Professor to wrap his arms around his waist and to bury his face into the robes covering the other man's broad chest. But why? Had he really known this man in another life? He'd never met him in this one, that was for sure. But the hair, glasses, and crimson robes all held such familiarity - a sense of comfort. However, there was something gnawing away at him. What was this twinge of apprehension he felt? He was..afraid of Falcone? That couldn't be right, but he couldn't shake the feeling.

Pharin glanced at his master, then at the Professor. Sighing, he said, "You can hug each other, you know; it's not gonna kill you. I'll leave you two to reacquaint yourselves with each other. When you're done, I'll be over with the blundering blue blabbermouth. And I don't mean you, retard." At this, the Filir flew across the room to land on Shujiri's shoulder, who looked up and smiled at the bird, then went back to his conversation with Lana.

Ghebriel and Falcone stood there staring at one another for a moment before Gheb finally broke the silence. "Do you remember anything from before?" he inquired, voice quiet and just slightly strained.

Falcone paused and tilted his head to the right, not sure what the 'Chemist meant. "Before what?"

"I suppose your response is answer enough." Ghebriel shifted his eyes downward awkwardly, a heavy feeling in his heart. "Pharin said that we knew one another once..."

Falcone started a bit. "That's unusual. Shujiri said something along those lines as we discussed our trip to the factory. He said that he knew me from a previous life, but that he wouldn't be surprised if I didn't remember him because I was too distracted by 'the Alchemist.' He wouldn't say anything more when I questioned him and, until now, I'd just assumed he was toying with me." He glanced over at the Assassin who, despite being completely engrossed in his conversation with Lana, still managed to be keeping a close eye on them. The blue-haired warrior winked at Falcone, then turned back to Lana. Pharin's eyes hadn't left his master.

Ghebriel still wouldn't meet his eyes, and Falcone wasn't sure if it was nervousness or..fear?

The Creator spoke up again, still looking at the floor. "Pharin said we owned a home in Amatsu. I've seen it and I recognized it before he ever said anything. It's empty now."

A brief image of a house in oriental style flashed through his mind's eye and then was gone. He knew the house this man spoke of. More importantly, he knew he belonged in it - with Ghebriel. He was more sure of it than any of his theories or experiments. He loved Ghebriel and would not be parted from him ever again.

"I..I remember." Falcone whispered. Ghebriel's face shot up, his eyes locking with Falcone's. "I remember the house, tea water boiling over the fire..." the Professor chuckled slightly. "Your experiments exploding over that fire."

Ghebriel's face turned red, slightly embarrassed. "That was only one time. You'll never let me live that down, will you?" Then he realized he wasn't quite sure how he remembered what Falcone was talking about.

Falcone silenced him by wrapping his arms around the smaller man's waist in a tight, warm embrace. In his ear he whispered, "But most of all, I remember you. Always you - smiling as you made the tea, helping me find a lost book, curling up to me when the rain brought back depressing memories, giggling when I smeared ink on my face...They're all memories of you."

Ghebriel's face went from red to pink, and he slowly returned the man's embrace. Embarrassing as it was, it felt right - so very, very right. He still couldn't get the twinge of fear out of his mind, but he decided to ignore it for now in favour of just enjoying the feeling of being enclosed in the embrace.

The moment ended when Pharin, ever the smooth operator, shouted, "Why don't you two retards go upstairs so we don't have to watch the two of you acting all sappy?"

Sahari, temporarily stopping her dance routine seeing as Jackel had finally passed out on top of one of the tables, smacked the bird gently and hissed, "Hush, you! This is adorable and I wanna watch!"

Ghebriel and Falcone both jumped and blushed, finally remembering where they were. Lana giggled slightly, Shujiri smiling as he walked over to them. "Why don't you two stay in Falcone's room tonight? I'll keep blue bird over here in the room with me and the guys. We'll all share the big room, and the two ladies can sleep in the smaller room. Us guys will be kinda cramped, but it'll all work out. You two need some time to catch up."

Ghebriel started to argue, but Shujiri cut him off. "Don't worry about paying us. You already agreed with the innkeeper to pay for rooms, right? Well, I'll talk to him about it and explain the situation a little. If anything, he'll only ask you to pay for your drinks and maybe a new table." He glanced at where Jackel had passed out. "I don't want to touch his bar tab with a ten foot pole, thank ye kindly. Now, you two go on up. I'll help clean up down here and get the stragglers to bed. Go on, now; shoo!" And with that he pushed them up the stairs.

Sahari pouted. "But I wanted to watch them make out!" Shujiri shot her a smile that told her not to argue and she quieted down, grumbling.

Sighing, Shujiri moved to Jackel and began the process of moving the remaining people present to their respective resting spots. He hefted the large gunman over one shoulder and shook Dmitri gently, waking him up to an extent. "C'mon, bud. Let's get you to bed." Shujiri said, helping the still half sleeping man to his feet, and swinging one hand over his shoulder. The hand landed on one of Jackel's horns, which apparently registered in the Stalker's groggy mind.

"Than's, Jackel..." And he slumped along with Shujiri.

"Tyr, go upstairs and get Zira to open the door, please." The little wolf barked an affirmative and bounded up the steps, surprisingly quiet for a creature that size.

Shujiri looked over his shoulders at the ladies and Alex, the only ones left in the common room. "Ladies, if you're ready to turn in for the night, you can follow me and I'll open the room for you. Or, you can wait down here, in the company of our friendly neighbourhood metal smasher."

Alex stood up, apparently deep in thought. "Actually, Shujiri, I'm gonna take a walk for a while. I'll find someplace to crash for the night, but I'm not ready to turn in just yet. Don't wait up for me." He then bid the ladies good night and walked out the door, seemingly in a hurry. Shujiri glanced at the door he'd gone through and considered following him out of curiosity, but decided to leave it be. He had to get things tidied up in here, anyway.

"I think I'm ready for bed." Sahari said, stretching. "All that fun's got me pooped. Coming, Lana?" Sahari walked past Shujiri and started to go up the stairs, turning to wink over her shoulder as she spun the room key around her index finger.

Shujiri chuckled, "Well at least we know you didn't skip out of your Thieving classes. Just don't go thinking that would've been as easy if I didn't have my hands full."

"Uh huh. Keep telling yourself that, Shuji-fu." She laughed, tromping up the stairs.

Lana walked over to the stairs and stopped next to him. "Thank you for spending some time with me, and taking such good care of your friends. You're a very kind man." She gave him a peck on the cheek and then went up the stairs.

Shujiri just stared as a blush formed across his face. "By Freya's frilly fringes, I think I'm in love."

With that, he followed her up the stairs, carrying his old new-found friends.

**_Elsewhere.._**

Alex trudged along in the snow to the other side of the Lutie town square, dragging his cart along behind him. He took a moment to again admire the massive pine tree that marked the center of town and was decorated in Christmas ornaments year-round. He briefly wondered how much it cost to decorate and keep that tree lit, but he had more pressing matters on his mind.

He came to the Blacksmith's shop and pounded on the door. After a few minutes a light went on upstairs, and a small man with burly arms stuck his head out the window of the second story bedroom, his dark brown beard trailing in the snow along the window sill. "What in the name o' Thor d'ye want at this hour? The shop's closed, ya great buffoon!"

Alex smiled up at the man. "I apologize for the time, but I'd like to borrow your forge for a few hours, if that would be alright. I've brought my own materials and tools, I just need access to your furnace. I'm willing to pay you."

"Bah! What be so important that ye cannae wait till the morn?"

Alex smiled, thinking the smith must be related to the inn keeper, as that accent was definitely not native to Lutie. He reached down into his cart and pulled out the battered spear of Stormy Knight, Zephyrus, and held it up. "I need to repair this weapon, and a few others. I need to have it done by the time my comrades and I leave tomorrow morning."

The old smith nearly fell out the window when he saw the weapon. "Stay right there, I'll be right down. And fer the love of Mjolnir, don't hold that thing out in the open!" The window slammed shut and Alex heard the old dwarf practically falling down the stairs as he rushed to get to the door. The door burst open and the smith yanked Alex in the door, cart and all. The door slammed shut behind him, and the shades were drawn over the windows.

"Now, tell me how ye came about that weapon, and lemme take a closer look." The smith held out his massive hand for the spear. Alex looked pensive for a moment. "If I was gonna steal it from ye lad, t'would've been an axe that came flyin' out me door, rather'n me hand. I just wan'ta see it."

Alex reluctantly handed over the spear. The old man's hands caressed it tenderly, as he examined ever inch of it. "By Odin's beard..." he breathed, "Mighty Zephyrus...and it be the real thing. I never thought I'd 'ave the chance ta be seein' old Stormy's spear up close, let 'lone holdin' it in me own 'ands." His eyes came up to meet Alex's. "That beast'd never part with this by choice, young'n. How'd ye manage ter get yer mits on it?"

"My friends and I slew Stormy Knight this afternoon. I took the spear from where he dropped it, without their knowledge."

The smith sputtered and nearly dropped the spear, then thrust it back into Alex's hands. "Ye killed th' Knight o' th' Windstorm? I'd thought that ta be impossible!"

Alex chuckled slightly and rubbed his ribs where the spear he now held in his hands had gashed his side open earlier. "I would've agreed with you when he attacked us. We only intended to observe him, but he surprised us. Nearly impaled me from behind before we knew what was happening. It took the five of us to bring him down, and then none of us walked away uninjured."

The smith rocked back on his heels, and the windows rattled when he shouted "Ye took down _Stormy Knight_ wit' only _five men_? D'ye realize what a feat that be? Ol' Stormy 'as killed ev'ry man who ever 'ad th' stones ta challenge 'im. Even in groups o' ten or more, 'e's killed 'em, ev'ry time. Ye an yer friends must be some kinda fighters ta've pulled that off." The smith looked Alex up and down. "Ye be a Mastersmith, ain't ye?"

Alex nodded "Yes."

"Lemme see yer arms."

Alex blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Yer arms! Lemme take a look." The smith reached for Alex's outstretched arm and probed the muscles and bones, poking and prodding till he was satisfied. Then he examined Alex's hands, noting every burn, scar and callus. "Ye're familiar with an axe as well as a smithin' 'ammer. Right?" Alex nodded. "Lemme see yer axe. The one ye fought Stormy with."

Alex rummaged around in his cart for a few minutes, then pulled out the two-handed battle axe. The blade shimmered faintly, and seemed to have an almost tan color to it - an effect of the earth elemental enchantment upon it. "I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to clean it or hone the edge since the fight." he said as he handed the axe to the smith.

The old man took the axe and looked it over carefully, turning it in his hands. He then walked over to the other side of the room and quickly swung it over his head and down on top of a chair on the other side of the room. The man showed expert control as he managed to stop the blade a mere inch before hitting the floor. The chair fell apart, split cleanly into two pieces.

"'Tis a fine weapon, lad. What be yer name?"

Alex bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, sir. My name is Alexander, but I normally go by Alex."

The old man, still inspecting the axe, said "My name's Hogarth." He turned to Alex. "Tell ye what, Alex. Ye let me keep this axe, and I'll not only let ye use me forge, I'll help ye out. Wit' two o' us workin' at it, shouldn't take near as long ta fix that spear."

"That hardly seems like a fair trade! Aren't you selling yourself short?"

"I'll decide what be a fair trade in me own shop, thank ye, Alex. Don't ye get it? This be one o' the weapons what killed Stormy Knight. Yer axe'll be famous one day, mark me words. I'd say owning one legendary weapon and gettin' the chance ta work wit' another be more'n I ever thought I'd accomplish in me life. Now, 'nuff blatherin' on. Let's get ta work. Follow me." And without waiting for Alex to respond, the old dwarf led him to the back of the shop, after hanging the axe on the wall behind his counter.

**_Back at the inn.._**

Shujiri slumped into the chair next to Zira after finally getting the guys situated. Jeliel was fast asleep on one of the two beds in the room, so Shujiri borrowed a large mattress from Falcone's room (there were two big beds in there, and he guessed the men would only be needing one) and put it on the floor next to the other beds, putting Jackel and Dmitri on it. Pharin had fallen asleep with his head tucked against his chest, Tyr curled around him. Soon the room was filled with light snoring.

Zira glanced over at Shujiri, whispering, "I'm sorry for acting like such a jerk."

Shujiri waved the apology away. "Nothing to apologize for, old friend; I deserved it. Besides, it's not like I was going to bleed to death on the way back to the inn, right? I know minor First Aid. I would've been fine in a few day's time."

Zira nodded slightly. "Yes, but I did blatantly ignored my healer's oath."

Shujiri nodded. "Aye, but the circumstances we're all in are different from everyone else in Rune-Midgard now."

Zira looked over at the fire in the silence that ensued. At length, he said, "So, out of the bunch we met today, who do you recognize from before?"

Shujiri followed the High Priest's gaze. "Jackel Vane was a well-known Gunslinger in our last life, but we only ran into him a few times. He's a nice enough guy as long as you don't piss him off. I don't know much else about him, though. The same goes for Dmitri; I'd heard of him and talked with him a few times, but we never really got to know each other. The young Assassin looks different, and she has a different name, but it's definitely Eos. There's no question in my mind about that. Her and Dmitri were together in their last life, too, before we ran into them. Ghebriel is pretty much identical to how he used to be, as well as Falcone. The Priestess, though..." Shujiri trailed off, his eyes glazed over.

Zira watched him carefully. "What about her?"

Shujiri started. "Oh, she's new. I don't remember her from our last life at all." He stared off into space again. "Isn't she gorgeous, though?"

One of Zira's eyebrows raised slightly. "I don't know. I was a bit busy being irked by your behaviour to notice."

Snickering a bit, Shujiri said, "Yeah, she's something else."

The Priest merely chuckled and looked back at the fire. "Shujiri, about the way you act...Does it have something to do with your past? You don't talk about much of anything from before the very first life we met in. The comment you made when we met Alex in Alberta...I believe it was 'Life's no fun without friends'? You seemed rather sad when you said that."

"Long story short? In my first life I was..alone. I carried out my missions, I did what I had to to survive. But there was no one to share my triumphs with, or help me get over my sorrows. I just..wandered the world, doing what I could to make life easier for those I encountered. I had my guild mates in the Assassin's Guild, but I mean, they were like co-workers. I couldn't confide in them. Helheim, I barely trusted some of them to watch my back. Then, when I botched a mission and died as a result...Well, that's a story for another time."

Zira frowned slightly but remained silent, allowing Shujiri to continue.

"But when I was reborn after that, I met you. You were the first person to actively show an interest in me as a human being. To everyone else, I was a killer. Somehow, you looked past that; it meant a lot to me. It still _does_. After meeting you, I met more people who accepted me as I was, _through_ you. And it was then I decided I'd never live my life without my friends again."

Zira took all this in silently. He honestly hadn't expected such an open and honest answer. He was actually expecting his friend to dodge the question, or feign tiredness to escape answering. All he could say was "I see..."

"Don't worry about it right now. We need our rest. Tomorrow we'll set out to pick up the last of our companions."

Zira looked over to the bed. "I suppose you're right. You want the bed, or..." Zira's voice trailed off as he looked over at his friend who had already fallen asleep. The blue-haired man's legs were folded up under him atop the chair, hands in his lap and chin resting on his chest. His breath was silent and barely noticeable as his chest didn't rise or fall much. Zira chuckled and went to go lay down. It was going to be fun seeing where things went from here.**  
To Be Continued...**


	19. The Morning After

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** It really was one of the hardest things I've had to figure out about this story so far, trying to use Riley's gay joke without the actual place's name in it while still getting the same impact it originally had across. ("You're. . .so far back in the closet you're in Narnia.") After a bit of thought, I settled for using Splendide; it did lose a bit of its effect, but hopefully the idea gets across. Also, many events of this chapter are subject to change via editing in the near future. If something doesn't make a lot of sense in the chapters after it that relates to this one, then come back and just glance through it to see what changed to impact the others. It shouldn't be too much on the whole. I have no real suggested listening theme for this chapter, so what say we go with Into the Abyss, from the Abyss Dungeons?

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: The Morning After**  
Early morning was upon the small Christmas town of Lutie, and the two groups of people at the inn had still yet to awaken to the sun's first rays. It was already getting light outside quickly despite the snow that was falling from the sky.

"Mm..."

Dmitri was the first to stir, reluctant to be brought from the warmth of slumber to the chilly wind going through the little inn. He snuggled down into the covers more deeply, turning over onto his other side. A gentle thump on his hip brought him closer to waking up, but still he resisted the pull to reality.

It was only when a voice in front of him said, with breath that wreaked of nearly a year's supply of liquor, "Aww, bebbe, don' get up yet; 's only five 'n y' don' gotta go nowhure f'r 'nother hour er so..." that the Stalker's light blue-green eyes popped open and locked onto the face of Jackel, not even three inches away.

Before he had the chance to react accordingly, however, a firm weight on the mattress behind him was followed by the pressing of a hand over his lips, silencing the scream before it could form. Flipping onto his back and reaching for his bow, both hands were quickly snagged in a firm grip by the wrist and pinned against the mattress over his head, the source of the weight moving to straddle him.

"Shh," the Assassin Cross whispered, staring down at him and moving his hand from the man's mouth to tuck it just under his throat. The katar felt cold to the touch, but wasn't pressed in hard enough to cause any harm. "He got snockered last night and you were asleep when we made it back here to the inn, so you won't remember having seen me. Still, you're going to have to be very quiet while I explain this. And whatever you do, don't make any sudden movements."

Glancing to his side at the Gunslinger, Dmitri made note that the man was indeed merely sleeping rather than fully unconscious, and he glanced around for a moment to take in the whereabouts of his other companions.

Upon finding that he didn't recognize anyone else present, and couldn't locate Ghebriel, Lady Lana, or Sahari, he locked eyes with the blue-haired man above him. Staring hard to try to discern the truth in whatever the man's answer would be, he whispered with as much of a growl as he could muster, "Where are the others, then?"

"Lady Lana and Sahari are across the hall in their own room; ye don't think the girls should sleep in the same room with a bunch of guys, do you?"

Warily, Dmitri filed that information away. It made sense, he supposed, but that didn't answer about Ghebriel. Jackel was right there beside him; why not the Creator?

Understanding the Stalker's reservations about this, he smiled in acknowledgment. "Ahh, Gheb; he's in the room just down the hall of us with Falcone. And before you ask, he's the Professor that's traveling with us. Now, then. Gonna listen?"

Dmitri thought for a few moments before he put in, "Why?"

The other male seemed to be debating smacking himself. At length, he leaned down a bit closer and whispered, "Look, you _really_ don't want to freak out right here. If you have to, go to the toy factory and freak out there or something, but don't do it here. You've got a trigger-happy Gunslinger in the bed beside you, a scythe-wielding High Priest next to you, and a spell-happy High Wizard on the other side of him. Do you really want to cause a scene and make the Ragnarok come any earlier?"

Admittedly, the Stalker wasn't sure why the question made him tense quite as much as it had; the words didn't really hold that much meaning, but it seemed like a familiar warning. He thought for a moment longer and, deciding it was best to hear the man out before making decisions (and the katar to his throat didn't hurt the option any,) nodded. "Go ahead.."

Leaning back a bit as a show of faith, the man launched into his explanation. "It's a long story, and I only want to have to explain things one time so you'll have to wait until the gang's all here to hear the extended version just like the rest. In short, I'm Shujiri; we've already met before in a past life and-"

"Past life?" asked Dmitri, skeptical of the suggestion. "If I didn't think you were crazy to begin with, you ranked it up pretty fast just now."

"I didn't say it was gonna be easy to believe, Dmitri." With this, the blue-clad Assassin smiled down at him.

"How-"

"-Did I know your name? Yeah, I heard that from Zira and Alex, too; I told you the answer already, though - we met in a past life. Admittedly we never interacted that much, and you weren't so far in the closet you'd think you were in Splendide back then, but-"

Instantly Dmitri had their positions switched, leaning down over Shujiri. "How the hell do you know Sahari's joke and why shouldn't-"

Staring up at Dmitri for a moment, Shujiri chuckled lightly. After a moment, he said, "Guess ye've been getting faster this time, huh? You never could've done that before; I already told you this, Dmitri, we knew each other in a past life. Sahari's name was Eos back then, but she used that same joke on you even when you had more muscle to you." Without so much as the time to blink, Shujiri had their positions flipped again, still being careful not to jostle the sleeping gunman beside them. "Seriously. Sahari and Lana are in the room across from us and Ghebriel's down the hall with Falcone."

The glare Dmitri had fixed Shujiri with lessened just slightly and he looked over to the man beside him again.

"What's the point in separating you if we're going to put two of the dangerous ones right beside each other?"

"You have a point." Dmitri confessed, looking away from him and back to Shujiri. "If I promise not to shoot you in the face with an arrow, will you let me up?"

"Trust me, you'd have to catch me first." With this, Shujiri stood up and extended his hand to the long-haired male, pulling him to his feet quietly. "You get the honours of waking up Jackel. I don't envy that hangover he'll be sportin'. Since he probably remembers me about as much as you did, and bullets in the face kind of hurt, the first face he sees when he wakes up should probably be one he recognizes. I'll wake up the rest and then we can get started on our way to find the last few members of the group. On the way, I'll explain a little about the situation."

**_A bit later.._**

"Wow. I'm surprised Ghebriel's not up yet." Sahari mused as she sat at one of the tables nibbling on a slice of the dragon steak on her plate, her legs swinging back and forth.

"That so." Jeliel mumbled, reading over one of the news scrolls he'd found at their room's doorstep. He didn't really care one way or the other; it was just another person he'd have to rub elbows with on the trip to..wherever they were going. Why was he even going along with them in the first place?

"Yeah; usually he's up before we are, getting things ready to be on the move again." Sahari rolled her eyes. "Always pushing to walk around more to see if he can figure out what's going on."

"Sounds kinda like Falcone, from what I've seen so far." Zira said with a quiet yawn, his Priestly robes, like Lana's, having been switched out for a bath robe.

Oh, right. That's why.

"Should we go wake them up yet?" Lady Lana asked, vaguely curious as to how things had gone last night. She didn't know much of anything about the group of people she and her friends had met last night just yet, but even she could tell that there was something going on that connected everyone around her somehow - especially the Creator and the Scholar.

"No, maybe we should leave them be for a little longer." Dmitri sighed, rubbing the back of his head slightly.

Shujiri glanced towards the stairs for a moment, debating himself on if it might be best to go ahead and get them up to get started. They did still have a lot of catching up to do, but at the same time, they were on a tight schedule before they would be in top shape enough to take on Satan Morroc. And the more time that passed, the more certain he was that they had no choice other than to destroy him.

At length, the Assassin Cross shook his head and turned back to the group of people before him.

Lady Lana and Zira were sitting turned away from one another, identical looks of distress at how early they were awake upon their faces as they sipped their morning tea from twin cups almost as though synchronized.

Sahari's dragon steak was almost completely gone, as was Dmitri's - but not because the Stalker had touched it. In fact, he was half way between being awake and dozing back off where he sat, and having left his meal untouched (however unusual it was for a breakfast food,) this left it wide open to Sahari's bottomless pit of a stomach.

Where she packed it all was anyone's guess; she didn't seem to get any heavier from it no matter how much she ate, and she never really seemed to get full. She'd already made attempts at sneaking some of Jackel's share of breakfast, only to be on the receiving end of a warning shot fired over her head that grazed her hair and split a few strands cleanly.

Jackel, meanwhile, was still somewhat nursing a hangover. It wasn't as bad as anyone had anticipated, and that in and of itself was a miracle, but it was still bad enough to give the Gunslinger an irksome glare of displeasure. Well, he shouldn't have drank so much.

Then there was Jeliel, sitting off just a little ways away from them reading one of the news scrolls. Well rested and smug in the knowledge that he had been a good part of what had stopped the Knight of the Windstorm's rampage, he was practically on cloud nine. Practically. He still had to contend with Falcone. And, oh, what a shame; the High Wizard used to be so much better at all this a few lives back...

It was a little odd, though, that Alex hadn't made it back to the inn yet. Ah, well; he had to still be somewhere nearby.

After several more minutes of peaceful silence, Lady Lana stood and excused herself to go check on their sleeping companions. She came back down a few moments later with a slight shrug and a smile. "They didn't reply when I knocked so I suppose they're still sleeping." she said, moving to sit back down between Shujiri and Zira.

"He looked ready to keel over so I'm not surprised." Jeliel mumbled, flipping the scroll down further to continue reading.

"We need to get going before too much longer, though, so we should still try to get 'em up." Shujiri sighed, standing. "Wanna come and try your luck on Gheb while I work on Falcone?" he continued as he turned to look at Dmitri, whose face had only been spared from splatting into his now nearly empty plate by a disgruntled Jackel's palm.

"Sure. Maybe it'll wake me up."

"So. Why are they sharing a room again?" Jeliel threw in, only slightly interested.

Shujiri gave him a sly smirk, which the High Wizard noted and filed away in his mental cabinets under "Topics Not to Pursue," and proceeded up the stairs.

Falcone was curled up around the 'Chemist when Dmitri and Shujiri opened the door to the Scholar's room, sound asleep with a smile on his lips.

For a moment, Shujiri debated disturbing the younger of the two to test the options of how best to extricate them rather than going about his own portion of the plan. He was stopped by Dmitri, and only because the Stalker was already in the process of curiously nudging the Biochemist.

Then, in barely the blink of an eye, the pointed tip of a staff was pressed against Dmitri's throat.

Looking down to the staff, Dmitri's eyes slowly traveled up its length to the face of the one holding it. Light eyes met flashing, fierce red ones, fixed in a glare of protective rage. A second later, the staff was lowered back to the side of the bed as the Professor moved to sit up, careful not to bother the still-sleeping form beside him.

"I'm sorry about that." Falcone whispered, providing a sheepish smile up to the men before him.

Shujiri chuckled a bit, shaking his head. "That's fine. It's time to get up, though."

"What time is it..?"

"Morning." Dmitri said.

The Assassin fixed Falcone with a grin of understanding. "Ye been sleepin' all night?"

Ghebriel shifted a bit, sighing against the warmth of the man beside him.

At this, Shujiri shot the Scholar a knowing smile. "I'll be taking that as a no." he teased.

Although there was no real force behind it, Falcone glared at the joking male. "No, we didn't sleep _all_ night. We had a very lengthy conversation to try to figure out a few..things." He rubbed the back of his neck slightly. Usually he was much more articulate with his choice of wording; meeting the Biochemist really had thrown him for a loop. "I did do a few minor tests of how much of what we might remember, but compared to what there must be, we're mostly turning up blanks."

"Give it time; all of it might not make it back, but at least you'll probably build up the important memories while ye make more."

"Ghebriel?" came Lady Lana's voice from outside the room, getting closer. "Pharin says it's time for his-" The Priestess stopped at the doorway, flushing a deep pink as she noted the two still in bed.

No one had the chance to say anything further, for Pharin quickly made his way into the room right behind Lana, settling onto Dmitri's shoulder. He took one look at the two still on the bed and laughed aloud. "Oh, man! It didn't even take you two a week this time! I've got to hand it to you, doofus," he said, looking at Falcone. "You are one smooth operator to pull that off with as spacey as he is!"

Falcone's question died before it was even formed, for the Assassin Cross threw a few of his venom knives at the little blue creature who just barely flew out of the way for them to narrowly sail past him..and pin Jeliel, who had been on his way in behind Zira, to the wall. The blonde, for his part, had been quick enough to duck and return upright without flinching as soon as it was safe to. Given the people he was traveling with, expecting random projectiles to come hurling at you was a good thing to get into the habit of.

Sahari smiled at Jeliel as she passed him, ignoring his demands to be let back down. Instead, she filed into the room and took a spot beside Dmitri, staring at the two in bed happily.

"Pharin, you were supposed to stay downstairs." Lady Lana scolded the Filir gently. "I was going to tell him-"

"Well you weren't doing it fast enough, but thanks for the effort." Pharin flitted across the bed to land on Falcone's leg, leaning in towards Ghebriel's face. "Wake up, retard; I'm hungry. It's feedin' time!"

"Why don't we just invite everyone staying at this asinine inn into the room while we're at it, hmm?" Jeliel snorted, wiggling enough to free his arms so he could pull the knives out of his cape to move away from the wall.

"That's a mighty big word f'r a mighty little brain there, pardner." Jackel's voice said, the gunman laughing as he squeezed past the irate magic user.

Shujiri cocked his head slightly, but let the matter drop.

"He sleeps like the dead." Dmitri muttered, prodding Ghebriel again.

"Always has." Pharin snorted, nudging the Alchemist with his wing. "C'mon, 'Chemmy, get up and gimme my food. I'm your responsibility, so be responsible-like!"

"Aww, you two're so cute!" Sahari squealed, moving closer to Falcone and Ghebriel.

It took the Professor a moment to understand what was running through her mind, but he shook his head, his cheeks for once almost as red as his hair. "It's nothing like that, let me assure you."

"Suuure. And I'm not eighteen."

Dmitri began to speak up, but a withering glare from the girl silenced him completely.

Finally, a yawn pulled everyone's attention to Ghebriel as the light-haired man stretched, sitting upright. "So much noise for so early in the morning..." he uttered softly, falling to the side against Falcone's shoulder. "Too early, daddy...Let me sleep a little longer..."

While Falcone focused on forcing down the blush that became more heated at the images this induced, Sahari only squealed louder as Lady Lana giggled into her hand again, a glance exchanged between her and Shujiri.

"It's time to get up, Gheb." Dmitri said, poking the man in the shoulder. "Shuj says we need to get going soon; you actually slept longer than _me_ for a change."

That seemed to be the magic phrase, for as soon as the words fell from Dmitri's lips, Ghebriel was upright and wide awake in moments. "What time is it? How did I sleep so late? What-"

Falcone chuckled gently, silencing him by laying his hand softly on his shoulder. "Relax, 'Brie; it's not _that_ late. We seem to be a bit behind schedule, is all."

"While you all get ready, I'm going to go find Alex and fill him in on the game plan for today; it's getting too crowded in here. If he's not already back, that is."

Lana and Sahari looked to each other and the young Assassin Cross pushed her forward gently.

"Do you mind if I accompany you?" the Priestess inquired, smiling shyly.

Shujiri swallowed hard, glancing down at the robe she wore, then back to her eyes. "You might want to finish getting dressed first..." he said, dashing past her and into his room as the blush formed across her face and she rushed into her own room, slamming the door.**  
To Be Continued...**


	20. Refined Tastes

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note:** We took a bit of creative licensing liberty as far as there being a smith's shop in Lutie, but for the purposes of keeping things as neat as possible, it was the only choice available to me at the moment. As with other chapters, this one is subject to a bit of editing whenever Tet decides to get back into writing for it; it may not have fit the plans he had for Alex to a tee, so we might have to do a slight rework for the opening of the chapter to rectify that. Meanwhile, for listening purposes, we'll go with another Lutie-based tune for this chapter. It's going to be Don't Cry, Baby; I can't remember, specifically, where it plays, though.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Refined Tastes  
**Shujiri and Lady Lana made their way to the bottom floor of the inn, both dressed in their usual respective uniforms. With a glance around, it was easy to tell that the innkeeper had been busy through most of the night cleaning up after Jackel and Sahari's escapades the previous night; the chairs were righted, the bottles and glasses had been removed, washed, and neatly replaced upon the shelves behind the counter, and the tables had been wiped thoroughly enough that the Priestess could almost see her reflection in them when she leaned over them to admire the man's hard work.

"We should get started and find Alex." Shujiri proposed, dropping a few more coins onto the counter for when the innkeeper woke up to help cover the expense of the extra work his friends had unintentionally pushed upon him during their stay. "The faster we do, the faster we can get moving."

Lana said nothing but simply nodded, following behind the blue-clad professional as he made his way outside and into the gently falling snow.

The morning sun was bright and although it was warmer out than usual, the air was still chilly and certainly proved a stark contrast to the hot desert temperatures the Assassin Cross was accustomed to.

With a glance to her side at her traveling partner, Lana's cheeks turned a light pink as she looked away again, clearing her throat. "So...Do we have any idea where your friend might be?"

Shujiri looked at her and smiled, pausing in his steps to cross his arms over his chest in thought. "If he's anything like he was before, then he'll probably have spent the night out at the nearest forging shop. There's one not too far from here, if memory serves."

"Then should we head there first? Or check around the rest of the town and then go there, in case he's elsewhere?"

"That shouldn't be necessary; the more ye hang around us the more you'll find out how predictable we can be. It's almost sad sometimes."

The woman giggled, nodding a bit. "I've realized that just from my travels with Jackel, Dmitri, Sahari, and Ghebriel so far."

The pair proceeded in silence towards the shop, each sending the occasional embarrassed or shy glance to the other but by and in large remaining in companionable awkward silence otherwise.

Once she was certain Shujiri's attention was focused on their miniature trip, she chanced another look at him and focused on his expression. Now that they were walking in silence, he seemed somewhat pensive - as if he were trying to sort through recent events and make a decision about something. And from the looks of it, it was something important. She held back a quiet sigh as thoughts from last night began edging their way back into her mind. What did he mean by 'like he was before?' And why is it that the others didn't seem to know him as well as he knew them?

_He said last night, while we were talking, that there were things going on that wouldn't make sense if he explained it all to me now. He promised he'd tell me whenever he told the others, but I can't help but wonder what's going on! Pharin even mirrored parts of Shujiri's explanation when he was telling us some of what he knew during our time in Amatsu. But why do Shujiri and Pharin know about it when no one else seems to?_

Lady Lana cleared her throat gently again, intending to speak up, but was cut off by Shujiri as he bounded up to the door of the shop, calling back to her, "We're here!"

Pursing her lips slightly, Lana filed her questions away for a later time and went over to him as he knocked on the door.

No one answered.

Exchanging a glance with the blonde at his side, Shujiri knocked again.

Still no answer. However, the door eased open slightly.

Lana was the first to step into the shop, glancing around the darkened area that was lit only by the sunlight that came pouring in through the window. Her gaze stopped moving around the room as her eyes fell upon the motionless, muscular form of a man, slumped over the table with his head resting in his arms. There were no movements from him but the gentle rise and fall of his back as he breathed peacefully in his sleep.

Looking back over her shoulder, she whispered to Shujiri, "I think we found your friend."

Sliding under her arm and into the room, Shujiri quickly spotted Alex and chuckled quietly. "I think ye might be right." he whispered back, going over to him and gently nudging him.

When Alex didn't respond, he rolled his eyes and pulled the man's cart over to him, instantly noticing little differences in each of the weapons it held. A small smile dawned over his face but he remained quiet, attaching the cart to his waist and taking a few soft steps around to test how well he was able to move with it connected to him.

Upon deciding he was happy with the results, he turned back to Alex and moved to pick the man up. If he was that tired, then he would just have to carry him back to the inn and let him get a few hours of sleep in before they left; their trip would need to be postponed just a bit longer.

Although they needed to get stronger as quickly as possible, Shujiri knew that their strength and abilities would be of little use to them if any of them were too tired to put them to good use when the time came.

He lifted slightly, and was forced to forfeit the idea of carrying him rather quickly. Tone and strong though he was, Alex was just too heavy for him to lift when he was already toting the cart behind him, now, too.

Understanding the problem, Lady Lana's eyes lit up and she smiled, one hand closing around the Assassin's wrist as he went to nudge the Whitesmith to try to wake him up. When Shujiri glanced at her questioningly, she just shook her head and continued to smile. Stepping back, she lifted her hands from her sides and placed them in a praying position, a light at her feet beginning to glow softly. Shujiri instantly recognized what she intended to do and flashed her a thank you grin, standing upright.

The light at the woman's feet swirled before it moved to encompass her hands and she whispered, "_Blessing_." The single word echoed in an almost ethereal tone, the holy power behind it practically tangible to her. The Priestess dropped her left arm back at her side, the right extending towards Shujiri as if offering it to him with her palm towards the ceiling, and the glow shifted to cover him completely. When the light faded, she lowered her arm back to her side.

Shujiri could feel the boost in his strength that her spell gave him within moments. Moving back to Alex, he pulled him up into his arms and hoisted him carefully over his shoulder, mindful that he didn't want to awaken him now that he was fully capable of carrying him on his own.

After a moment of careful consideration, he pulled out a small bag from his hip. He wasn't positive where the man that owned the shop was but he knew he was grateful for his allowing Alex to use the shop's facilities, and so he deposited the bag of zeny and left it on the table where Alex's head had been.

With that out of the way, he turned back to Lana and motioned towards the door as if to say, "After you," giving a slight, playful bow as he did so.

With a small smile, Lady Lana giggled softly and curtsied, exiting the building and waiting outside for him.

Shujiri followed her quietly, making sure he closed the door behind him, and they began the small trek back to the inn.  
**To Be Continued...**


	21. Trivia & Pursuit

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** This will be the next chapter, and although they haven't exactly gotten to set out just yet, I thought the couples needed some quality time. That's why this one will focus a bit more on Falcone and Ghebriel. Now, now, relax; the other pairs will get their "us" time later, but while they're in Lutie I'm given the opportunity to use this chapter without having to alter too much of it since I'd already had it written for them to be here during the time it takes place, anyway. We can proceed afterwords. Yet again the song for this one is a Lutie-based tune; it's going to be White Christmas, although I haven't personally heard it playing on any of the servers I've gone to.  
**Word Notes:** (1) Elliptical conversation - Saying one thing, but meaning another. (2) Neurolinguistics - A branch of psychology sometimes used by intelligence agencies and security services to covertly manipulate unsuspecting human targets. (3) ". . .so popular in Morroc and Moscovia!" - We got the feeling that Morroc and Moscovia would produce pretty good spies, seeing as how Morroc bases the Sin-X/Stalker routes and Moscovia, well...

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Trivia & Pursuit  
**With the news from Shujiri that their departure would need to wait a bit longer, Falcone made it his duty to retrieve Ghebriel from his books in their room. Upon securing an agreement from the other man to accompany him on a walk around Lutie, the Scholar had dashed off to find Zira and get some suggestions about what to do with his hair and clothes for the occasion.

He wouldn't say it aloud if pressed, but inwardly, the redhead admitted that he felt as giddy as a school girl who had just cast her first spell or proven her first theory.

Unfortunately, fate was out to throw a small kink in his plans. Unable to drag Zira away from his sixth cup of tea in the past two hours, he had finally convinced the reluctant Jeliel to aid him in his endeavor. The High Wizard now sat situated on the bed behind him as he stood before the mirror. His crimson eyes scanned his appearance for anything in need of adjusting, and although he was still clad in his usual uniform, he felt that he needed to look his best.

"Are you still going on about how you look?" came Jeliel's voice, his eyes rolling.

The redhead glanced over his shoulder at the top hat-wearing male, who had shifted positions to where he was now propped back against the wall on the bed. "Yes, I am; tonight is very important. I want to make a good impression on Ghebriel. I'm not exactly sure he fully understood what I meant whenever I told him I loved him last night, even with all the things we came up with that we remembered."

At these words, Jeliel's eyes slowly lifted from the page he was reading to rest on the other man. When he spoke again, he sounded a bit amused. "A good impression, huh?"

"Yes."

"...You already know each other. The good impression thing probably already got screwed up last night."

"We had just finished fighting the Knight of the Windstorm; we were all still a little jumpy. I'm sure he understood that. Anyone would have been."

"Anyone except our fearless leader's friend-"

"He's a Priest."

"-And said leader himself."

"His sanity seems questionable at times."

"Here, here."

The two were silent for a few moments. At length, Jeliel let out an exasperated sigh and stood, making his way to the Professor. He was silent and motionless for a short time, seeming to be considering something. His eyes scanned the other man's form for another brief moment before his hands moved to the man's hair and he pulled the ponytail down so that his hair fell in a cascade of red to his shoulders. Moving one hand through it, Jeliel's expression turned outwardly thoughtful.

"What are you doing?" Falcone inquired warily.

"You should go out with it down tonight. Maybe he'll think you look better with it this way and pay more attention to you."

Falcone quickly turned to face the teal-eyed man, surprised that he seemed to be sincerely offering his advice. It wasn't like he thought Jeliel probably never willingly suggested helpful pointers to others; he just struck him as the type that would probably only invested himself so easily into a situation as to offer help before being asked in anticipation for repayment of the favour down the road. However, the man's expression felt genuine and didn't seem to hold any signs that he expected anything of him, be it monetary or otherwise. A smile made its way over the Scholar's lips slowly. "Won't it look as though I'm more easy-going this way, though? I'm afraid he won't take me very seriously like this."

"When you get down to it, the only thing I could get out of talking to him so far that he takes seriously is his research. Maybe if you make little changes here and there tonight, you can catch his attention enough to make him hear what you're saying instead of just spacing out and daydreaming about explosions from what the others have been saying today."

"What about the outfit?"

Jeliel flinched at this. It wasn't much; just enough to be visible to the other man, but it still piqued Falcone's curiosity. The High Wizard's eyes lowered to the bag beside the bed. With a heavy sigh, he walked over to it and produced five gold bars. His fingers flew to his lips as he whispered, "I was going to make Alex sell these to the boy by that huge Christmas tree outside when he got back, but you can do it instead. He probably won't pay you as much for them as I wanted but it's better than nothing. After you get the zeny from him, go talk to the guy with the robes nearby; he'll give you a pretty good deal on something nice."

"What do you want in return?"

"Just get out of here and let me get back to my scrolls in peace, got it?"

**_Later.._**

How Jeliel had known about that, Falcone wasn't really sure. Even the Wizard himself, when pressed about it, had seemed uncertain. All he really knew was that he was glad to have taken the suggestion. He now wore his normal uniform beneath a duster that was a few shades lighter than his hair. It was actually pretty warm for how thin it was, and since it was relatively chilly tonight, he was very glad to have it.

Beside him, Ghebriel had his hair tied back to keep it out of his face, but as usual, his bangs still managed to fall at the sides to frame his face. He wasn't wearing as much as usual, having opted for a more casual version of his typical uniform by leaving his gloves off and clasping his mini cloak around his waist.

"Even if the labs weren't as cheerful as Lighthalzen itself, there's still so much you can learn from them; the existence of spirits at all is one thing, but that they can use the powers they had in life and have them actually harm their target? That means there's a tangible link between the worlds. If we could just delve a little further into it-"

Falcone took the pause as an opportunity to interrupt, his attention having been caught by what the Creator had said. "What do you mean? They're ghosts; surely they can't really hurt someone. Even if they could, there would have been some traces of a recorded case, and people would have been looking into it by now. Right?"

Ghebriel's pale eyes turned to him, and he lifted his hands up to his shirt. As they began to slowly unbutton it, Falcone's eyes went wide and he felt his face flush to a dark pink. "What are you doing?" he squeaked, feeling as if he should try to halt his actions but finding himself incapable of moving to do so.

However, the blush quickly died when the smaller man's shirt was open to him, revealing the cream-coloured expanse of skin..and a myriad of crisscrossing scars that lead up to the center of his chest at the point of a large, gaping, rough-edged circular scar.

"What.." Falcone swallowed a lump in his throat, forcing his eyes away from Ghebriel's chest to meet the man's light lilac-blue eyes. "What happened?"

"Did you ever hear anything about the rogue Assassin Cross that ran to Lighthalzen when the Order of Freya found out that he was the one responsible for all those murders?" asked Ghebriel, gaze trained purposely on the Professor.

"Eremes? Didn't he die there, in the labs?"

"Yes. I had gone to Lighthalzen to do research on some of what the villagers were saying involving the labs and ran into him. Or, sort of him."

Despite telling himself not to mentally, Falcone's hand slowly brought itself up until it found its place resting over the most glaring scar softly. He tried to ignore the almost imperceptible flinch of the Biochemist at the touch, but his heart constricted so acutely that it was impossible to pretend he hadn't felt or seen it. "You can't possibly mean that you got these from him? And you lived to tell the tale?"

Ghebriel's expression became sheepish at this. "I didn't."

For a moment, the redhead felt his blood run cold. "You...What?"

"Just before I died, I saw a human-shaped form casting Holy Light and fighting Eremes back with a scythe. It scared me senseless; he looked like a reaper, swinging that thing around like that."

"Scythe, hm.."

"When I suddenly came to, I was in Kellasus's house in Lighthalzen. He said that a High Priest had gone into the labs to bring me out after I'd been in there longer than I'd intended to be. He used Warp Portal to get me to town, Resurrected me, Healed us both, and left before he or I could ever ask his name or say thank you. He was gone before I even woke up."

The silence that followed these words stretched for a few minutes until Falcone, deciding it best not to inform the male that his saving grace was probably none other than their leader's best friend just yet, cleared his throat and said, "You still made it alive, in the end. You...You should button up again before you get sick."

Ghebriel nodded and set to work at it as they resumed their trek. "You're right."

Once the other male was finished, Falcone turned his eyes from him again and lost himself in thought for a few moments. Something about Ghebriel's explanation struck a cord in the Professor's mind. It was as if he could recall having seen something similar yet completely different, but he'd never seen anyone suffer such a horrible attack as that before. Reaching out, he took Ghebriel's wrist in his hand and gave it a gentle tug to signal him to turn back towards him. When he had his attention, he took a deep, calming breath and said, "I wanted you to go out walking with me away from the others for a reason."

"Actually, I'm very glad you did; I wanted to see you alone for a while. There are a few things I wanted to ask you that I just couldn't bring myself to feel comfortable enough asking the others about."

A swell of hope made its presence known to Falcone at these words. "You do?"

Ghebriel smiled again, nodding. "Yes. Such as: When you use a spell, does it take up your energy, too? Or is it purely spiritual? If so, then why aren't your spells also classed-"

The hope died instantly, but Falcone stopped him, saying, "It wasn't about that."

"Ah..Well, there was something else I was wondering about..."

The blush spreading over Ghebriel's face made Falcone flush a bit, himself, and hope once again took up residence in his mind. "What would that be, my dear?"

His blush grew a bit darker. "It might be that the answer is very obvious, but I've wondered about this for a while, now..I haven't really had a chance to discover the answer for myself because I don't really know how to go about it or how to find out in any other way.." Pale eyes met crimson, and he fidgeted a bit. Falcone's hope grew three fold. "Do you..."

"Yes?" The redhead leaned in closer.

"Do you know how the gemstones some of your spells require work?"

Promptly, the hope died again, but Falcone responded politely, "No; I've never really put much thought into it. I just accept that it works."

A few moments passed before Ghebriel's eyes widened and he grasped his friend's shoulders tightly. Despite himself, Falcone's arms found their way around the man's waist. Ghebriel's confidence seemed to falter slightly at this, but he strengthened his resolve and said, "I think.."

Ah. Hope was such a resilient little bugger, after all. This was turning into quite the elliptical conversation(1).

"I think I know how they work! Maybe we should test it, but, I think it's a reaction. Sort of like a trigger word! If that could be harnessed, just imagine the things people would be able to do! The stones might become obsolete; even people in professions that don't require gems could put it to use. Maybe it could even be put to use in a branch of neurolinguistics(2). Like in some of those spy plays that are so popular in Morroc and Moscovia(3)!"

Falcone sighed. They said nothing else for a time but instead opted for companionable silence as Falcone pulled out a red gemstone from a pouch at his hip and gave it to the Biochemist to study. The silence was only broken by the wind as it kicked up, sending snow spiraling about them like a whirlwind of confetti. Falcone quietly tugged his coat open, slipping it off and then placing it around Ghebriel's shoulders.

Taking a moment out of his inspection of the gem, Ghebriel glanced down to the coat and then back up to its owner.

"You'll get sick if you're out here without a coat in this weather for too long." Falcone explained upon seeing the question held in his companion's light gaze.

"What about you, though?" Ghebriel questioned, his tone bemused as he nodded towards Falcone's upper arms. "You're not wearing much more than I was, now. Won't you-"

Faster than either of them could blink, Falcone's lips were upon Ghebriel's, his arms pulling the smaller figure closer. Time seemed to stop and the world fell away from them as the Professor moved his lips against those of the man he had remembered falling in love with, his tongue softly running over them. He silently prayed, please Freya, that Ghebriel would accept his advances and part them to allow him to deepen the kiss.

As though to answer his prayer, the Creator complied with his silent plea. Whether it was instinct or intentional, Falcone wasn't really sure; either way, he had the proof he needed that the spacy male before him returned his feelings. He could build up their memories of their past together from there happily.  
**To Be Continued...**


	22. Trivia & Pursuit OMAKE

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** First and foremost, the song for this. It doesn't -completely- fit, but I liked the funny mental image my sleep-deprived mind conjured up of Pharin dancing on Ghebriel's shoulder or in his little bird cage to it - the song is Sleepless, from the Yggdrasil area. Now that that's out of the way, I owe everyone an explanation for making two omake chapters in one story. Simply put: Pharin is just -that- cool. Seriously, I only did it because I wanted to see him get the last laugh in now and then. I have way too much fun making him interact with people, so I made an omake chapter that's focused on him and bits of his interaction with the others. That's about the only excuse I have for this, really..Anyway, after this is over, we can get back to the actual story itself. But, hey, at least the Pharin lovers will get their dose of the attitude-packed ball of feathers this way, right?  
**Name and Comment Notes:** (1) Vor - A lesser known Norse goddess presiding _[according to Wiki]_ over wisdom. (2) "I knew it was a guy!" - Pharin refers back to one of his comments made in chapter twelve, 'Ghebriel Awakens.' I just wanted to tie it all together.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Trivia & Pursuit OMAKE  
**"Come on; what if someone attacks you while you're out there without me? You need me - admit it!" Pharin tweeted, feeling indignant at the thought of being left behind by his master.

"No, Pharin; just stay here with Jackel and the others for now. I'll be back before you know it. We need some time alone to discuss some things."

"There are probably monsters out there. Did you know that? This is absolutely tantamount to suicide. No, it's even stupider than that - it's idiocide. Congratulations, retard; you created a whole new category! What's your next plan, genius? Dividing by zero?"

Ghebriel looked up at the homunculus that sat on his shoulder, silently analyzing him. "I wouldn't call the person who feeds you a retard so often, if I were you, Pharin. You might not end up fairin' so well."

"Ha! The genius made a funny! That's rich. But, now, seriously. You should really take me with you."

"You're staying here, Pharin. That's that."

Ghebriel placed his right hand around the Filir's body, moving him from his shoulder to the arm of the chair beside him. Then, before he had time to react to the movement, the Biochemist ran for the door, his creation slowly coming to his senses and flying after him, tweeting furiously as he went.

The door swung closed, and Pharin's beak found itself embedded a ways through it, sufficiently blocked off from his master. There was a soft apology from the other side of it, and then footsteps that slowly faded.

Outraged, the blue bird-shaped being squirmed determinedly to free himself from the door. It was only when Dmitri walked by and casually, without even so much as bothering to look at him, took hold of him and pulled him out as he walked by that Pharin took a moment to compose himself again. He glanced around, taking stock of who was left in the small room besides himself.

Sahari was seated on the couch listening intently to the Gunslinger, Jackel, as he told her a story about one of his trips to Veins Field where he had, single-handed, defeated an Atroce that had been terrorizing the Muka there. He was also going over how the Muka, to show their grateful feelings to him, had made him their ruler for several days. Apparently, he'd had to do some serious backtracking to lose them. (Normally, Pharin would have been only too happy to bust the man's bubble of pride by pointing out to the girl that the Muka didn't follow a set leader, but he wasn't in a good enough mood to do so.)

Dmitri, of course, was also still present; he'd taken up residence on the couch opposite of Jackel and Sahari, sprawled out so that he nearly took up the entirety of it.

Even Lady Lana had opted to stay at the inn with the others, although she and Zira had decided to preoccupy themselves by setting up protective holy barriers around the premises. Shujiri, for his part, was watching the two work and subtly flirting up enough of a storm with the Priestess that the snowstorm outside paled by comparison. Jeliel had grown tired of the exchange quickly and had retired to their other room to read in peace.

Alex, of course, was still sleeping.

Feeling even more ruffled, the small bird-like homunculus flew to the window, gazing out of it sadly as his master disappeared from sight with the redheaded Professor at his side. He really was leaving him behind, and there was nothing he could do about it. Well, that was fine; he'd just have to trust that the man could take care of himself.

A loud clang followed by Dmitri's exclamation of "Oof!" brought Pharin to look across at the man who was now sprawled out on the floor face first, arms and legs out in a clumsily-shaped square. At his feet were the sources of his fall - Thor, Ghebriel's hammer-like axe, and Vor(1), his silver shotel. (Why the Creator had chosen to name his weapons, Pharin had never quite understood. He also never quite figured out how such a slight-figured male could lift such a blasted heavy object.)

Okay, Pharin mentally amended with a spark of annoyance, he'd just have to trust that Falcone could take care of both of them. At least he remembered the redhead from their previous lives, and recalled him being relatively strong.

"Did he go off to talk to Falcone?" Sahari asked, earning the Filir's attention.

Pharin tweeted in confirmation.

"Hope he doesn't get himself killed." Sahari replied, pulling the Stalker to his feet easily.

"He's with Falcone, though, so he should be fine." Dmitri said reassuringly, smiling over at the bird-shaped homunculus as he sat back down.

"My gawd, when they first met Falcone looked so jumpy it was like he was going to zap him with some kind of spell just from nervous energy."

"It wouldn't be the first time.." Shujiri murmured softly without taking his eyes off of the blonde woman as she came over to sit down beside them and Zira sent a Heal at Dmitri, though he was still heard by the others.

Ahh, Pharin remembered what he was talking about. It was a terrible memory to have, and he could only relate it to the first life they had all been reborn to after their original meeting. Scratch that previous thought, Pharin decided. His master and the Scholar were both doomed.

"Hey, why'd you git a decent answer outta the dern critter?" Jackel's voice cut in, pointing an accusing finger at the Filir as he stared at the Assassin Cross. He crossed his arms over his chest indignantly, awaiting an answer.

"Because I'm nice to him. And he likes me. And I'm special like that." replied Sahari, smiling cheerily over at the gunman.

The exchange went on between the two for a few minutes, more of a friendly match of testing wit than an actual argument. In the end, Lady Lana and Dmitri had set up bets between themselves of who would win. Though, admittedly, the bet was rather one-sided; neither person favoured Jackel the winner.

Not long after the debate ended, two voices outside caught Pharin's attention. He turned back to the window to check that they belonged to the people he knew they would and if birds could grin, then he was doing just that. But just as he caught sight of the two, the Professor's lips descended upon Ghebriel's.

"Ah-HA! Ha, ha!" Pharin cried out, his wings flapped excitedly as he hopped in place, unintentionally piquing the curiosity of the other occupants of the room and bringing them over to glance over him and out the window at the spectacle unfolding before them. He shouted in a loud, triumphant voice, "I knew it was a guy!(2)"**  
To Be Continued...**


	23. Uncertain Circumstances

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note:** I just think it's so sweet to watch young, foolish love..Amusing, too. I'm not positive where I first got the idea of the pairing hinted at during this chapter, just that I can blame it on "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police. This is another relatively uneventful chapter, but at least everyone's finally energized and ready to go! Will they meet up with the rest of the people they're after? Will anything develop between Lady Lana and Shujiri? Did Ghebriel finally figure out what Falcone meant? All may or may not be revealed. As to the theme for this chapter, we're going to go with Labyrinth, which if I'm not mistaken (and the music on the server I play is temporarily messed up because of how I re-downloaded it this time around so I can't go back and check), is from the forest maze/"hidden temple." Correct me if I'm wrong, please.**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Uncertain Circumstances  
**Making their way back into the inn later that night, Ghebriel shook off the snow from his hair as Falcone's bright red, flame-reminiscent wings fluttered to move circulation through them to warm up again.

When Falcone turned to the Creator, his smile widened as his arms encompassed him again. "I would like to thank you for agreeing to go around the town with me tonight." he said softly, one hand rising to swipe a strand of hair out of Ghebriel's face carefully. "We very much needed this time together. I know that we spent the night together already, trying to decipher our feelings and memories and comparing notes; I just can't get past this. These feelings are so strong that I can't deny the knowledge that we did spend our life together before."

"It was fun," the smaller of the two admitted. "I should be the one saying thanks to you." There was a pause, and for a few moments, he seemed pensive before he finally spoke again. "Truth be told, Pharin had mentioned to me that you and I had known each other a few times previous to this. I wasn't positive I believed him at first; it seemed so impossible at the time. But even through the doubts, something seemed to be telling me that I knew he was right. You fit the description perfectly, and even though the few memories that do come up are more or less foggy, I still can't deny that they are of you. Even with this knowledge, though, there's something..off. I don't know why or how, but you- I mean, you-"

"Frighten you a bit?" Falcone supplied, feeling his heart clench at the admission he knew was coming.

Ghebriel glanced down at this. "Yes."

"I don't know how or why, either, but I wish we did. I want you to feel as comfortable with me as I do with you, and at the moment, that isn't possible. Maybe Shujiri or Pharin will know why that is, but as most everyone is sleeping right now, we may need to wait until morning. Would you like to stay with me again, or...?"

"That would be fine; best not to disturb the others when they're already asleep, I suppose. I'm just going to check on Pharin and then I'll be in."

"Alright."

With a gentle peck on the cheek, Falcone exited the room, leaving the Biochemist to himself.

Once he was certain the man had gone, Ghebriel made his way to the room that was connected to the one he was in. Smiling at the sight of the little Filir that sat perched on the nearest coat rack, eyes open and having left the form of his master only once from the moment he and the Scholar had finally returned in favour of carefully watching the Scholar's exit, he asked quietly, "You're still awake?"

"Duh." responded Pharin, wing spreading and somberly flying across the room to land on his shoulder.

The silent demeanor of his feathered companion intrigued Ghebriel, but he let it go for the time being.

"Waiting for dinner?"

"Sort of. How'd it go with Professor Know-It-All?"

Ghebriel pulled out a few chunks of garlet, presenting them to the bird-shaped creature which leaned down to peck at it quietly. "It- it was good. He's a little touchy-feely, but there's not anything about him that doesn't seem like it doesn't belong that way, so-"

Pharin's wing made its way to his face as he finished eating, his eyes closing behind it in an avian version of a facepalm. "Oi, retard, you didn't really just say what I think you did, did you?"

"What?"

"Touchy-feely? He kissed you, and you slept in the same bed, and he calls you 'dear' and 'darling,' and gets all protective of you, and you still think of the guy as just 'a touchy-feely friend'? Really?"

"Well,..yes. There's no need in reading too much into things. Even with all you've said about the past, there's no guarantee he feels the same now that-"

"You're an idiot. How can you be so smart but still be so retarded? You take stupidity to whole new levels sometimes, seriously. Your blonde roots are showing, and you aren't even a blonde!"

A gentle knock on the door drew the two's attention towards it. There, in her pj's and looking uncharacteristically nervous and unsure of herself, stood Sahari.

"Oh! Hey, Sahari." Ghebriel called to her, his smile softening. "What are you doing awake at this hour?"

Looking around, Sahari's deep burgundy eyes almost seemed to glow dimly in the darkness of the room. Her quiet gaze almost made the man feel a bit ill at ease; she seemed like a lost child at that moment - so small and uncertain. So unlike herself, from what he'd seen so far.

At length, Sahari edged her way into the room and settled herself on the bed beside him. "How was the date?" she asked, her voice as timid and restrained as the rest of her seemed.

"Oh..It was good. We talked a lot and..." Ghebriel trailed off after a moment, his eyes on the Assassin Cross sitting beside him. Something was very off about her, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Calling up the words to voice his concern, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Sahari was silent for a bit longer, but finally she turned to the man and asked, "How do you know if someone likes you? I mean, likes-likes you. Like you like them."

"Oh..."

Pharin spoke up in his master's stead, saying, "Who do you wanna know about? People show it in different ways."

Sahari's eyes locked with Pharin's and he went silent - aware, suddenly, of the man she was referring to.

Finally, the blue homunculus spoke up again. "You could always ask." he suggested.

"Ask who?" Ghebriel inquired.

"No one special, dumbass. So, Sahari, you could ask him directly. Or you could flirt with him and see how he responds to you."

"How who responds to her?"

"Go sleep with your love bird or something, but stay out of conversations rated over your age group, doofus."

Sahari giggled as Ghebriel's confused frown turned into a deep blush. "But I'm older than either of you!" he protested.

"Just you keep tellin' yourself that. Someday your awareness will catch up with your physical age and intelligence. Unfortunately for you, that day is still far off from today, so get going. Shoo. Go get some shut-eye and I'll talk to the kid."

Sighing, Ghebriel stood and gently took Pharin from his shoulder, moving him to sit on Sahari's. "Alright; I should get back to Falcone now, anyway.." he said with a warm giggle. "If you need me for anything-"

"We know, we know - don't come lookin' for you."

The blush on the Creator's face darkened, but he waved a good night and departed, leaving behind Sahari and Pharin for the night.

"Now, get to talkin', pal; I don't wanna leave those two alone for too long.."

**_The next morning..._**

Everyone was up bright and early, the few things they took with them on their travels packed up and ready to go save for the exception of their mysteriously missing weapons. Standing in front of the innkeeper, they were paying their portions of the additional night's cost as the sun rose slowly through the sky.

With the payment complete, Alex glanced back to his cart and then back to the others. He had spent the entire second night in Lutie working on things for the people he now could call friends, and hadn't gotten a chance to meet the new additions until it was almost time to go. That said, he had nothing to present them with. Hopefully they would understand and he could do something for them next time.

Clearing his throat, the Mastersmith drew out a large canvas bag from his cart and called for their attention. Once he had it, he said, "I thought these might come in handy; your weapons have all been refined and upgraded as much as I could." With an apologetic frown at the newcomers, he added, "Most of them."

Confused for a moment, they exchanged a glance as Alex passed their weapons to them, unsure of how he had managed to sneak them away without being noticed.

The High Priest's scythe had been touched up here and there where there had been minor scuffs on it, and the weapon itself had become lighter and easier to maneuver while the blade had been cut down slightly and sharpened for a more effective arc.

Jeliel held his newly upgraded Staff of Destruction, the gift that one of his mentors had given him before his departure from the city of knowledge. Its paint had been carefully touched up, and the flow of power through his being as he held it was now so prominent that he could almost see and touch it. Certainly, he felt its awesome effects.

Shujiri's katars had also been given the same sharpening and polishing job of Zira's scythe, each one lighter than it had been before and now holding a gentle glow of its respective element. The powers in them, much like Jeliel's staff, had intensified an incredible amount. It was as if he could feel his very being humming with the energy their speed boosts were feeding him.

Last was Falcone. Alex hadn't managed to take the staff the Professor had kept with him and used to keep Dmitri at bay the other day, but he had at least gotten his hands on some of his other weapons. Now retractable and easy to conceal, they could be taken anywhere with less fuss of having no free hands with which to cast his more intricate and intensive spells. And, conveniently enough, they now held slots for a certain amount of each kind of gemstone to be stored that a few of his spells required - a way to cast them instantly without having to constantly reach into the pouch at his side for one of the precious stones.

The four chorused their thanks, and Alex offered his explanation and apologies to the others.

"Shoot," Jackel snorted, "Don't worry none 'bout that!"

"He's right." Lady Lana added with a smile. "You hadn't even really met us yet; every little bit helps, and at least you've helped with that much of what you've done already. Thank you for your kindness and the thought of it, though."

Sahari leaned her shoulder against Jackel's arm, the majority of her weight resting against him as her arms crossed over her chest. She said with a playfully smug smirk, "You can just owe us one for later."

"With that settled," Shujiri spoke up, getting the attention of his friends. "I move that we head out to Prontera."

"What's there?" Dmitri asked.

Pharin snorted. "Mr. Tall, Bright, and Fruity, most likely." he scoffed.

As everyone turned confused or curious glances to each other, Shujiri ignored their looks and inquiries in lieu of saying, "Then let's go; we have another party member to find!"  
**To Be Continued...**


	24. They'll Wipe the Floor With You!

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note:** I had a hard time trying to figure out how to move them cleanly through the area they had to cover to keep in line with the plot we have set up for them without messing things up. I ended up asking one of my friends, Swift i.e. Q-chan, what he'd suggest and I got the directions from him while at work via mobile IM. I also used him as a sounding board for ideas. (Thanks for not minding spoilers. xD) Also, for your reference - those of you that played on the Void server will know what I mean when I mention Cleaners in Prontera, but for those who don't: a Cleaner was a little bouncing grey-black monster with white eyes and a green sprout on top of its head. They were non-aggressive monsters that, apparently, had a lot of hp. If you attacked it, however, it would use Asura Strike on you - i.e., instant death. Since Prontera was the official town on Void, skills were blocked for players. Meanwhile, I'm well aware that (at least on all of the servers I've been on) there's no such thing as a set of restrictions for the High Priest skill, Resurrection. You can cast it as many times as necessary as long as you have the blue gemstones for it. Certainly, there wasn't a number or time restriction! However, to please Tet (who wanted Resurrection to be nonexistent for the sake of speeding up the story and making it easier to keep up with everyone by killing some people off along the way), Swift and I thought up an agreeable compromise: it can only be cast a certain amount of times per day, per Priest. And! In reference to Dmitri's part of the story, I'm sorry to those who have said they like him; Riley didn't want Eos to die (yet, mwahaha...) so I had to re-work the portion I'd had written for it to fit him in, instead. Finally, in mentioning the song for this chapter! It's going to be Rag All Night Long, from the caves near Comodo.**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: They'll Wipe the Floor With You!  
**"This is Prontera, huh?" Sahari asked, glancing around the buildings and yawning. "It's so..clean."

"And empty..." murmured Shujiri, taking a moment to look around the square before sighing. "He should be around here somewhere..."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Shu-jeers." Pharin interjected, flying over to sit on the blue Assassin's shoulder. "You know that money grubber; people equal money. No people equals no money. If there's no money, why would he bother sticking around?"

"Okay, might I ask who it is we're even looking for? Or do you just plan to keep everyone in the dark about everything until we're all together?" Jeliel asked, arms crossed over his chest. "At this rate you could probably try to lead us into the mouth of Thor's Volcano and promise you knew what you were doing, and half these idiots would jump in and die 'because you said so.'"

Hoping to diffuse the situation he could already sense arising, Zira stepped up between Shujiri and Jeliel, saying, "In his own, special way of wording it, he has a point. We don't even know who we're looking for. It might be more beneficial to tell us so we can help find him, wouldn't it? If it's just you and Pharin, this will take longer than it needs to, and you said it yourself that we're in a bit of a hurry to find everyone and prepare for what lies ahead of us."

Shujiri gave a small smile of amusement, chuckling. "Some things never change."

Exchanging a look, the High Wizard and High Priest arched a brow each and turned back to face their friend. "What does that mean?" snorted Jeliel.

"You two always argued a lot but Zira still jumped up to your defense or stepped in when he figured you were about to get yourself in over your head. 'Kept several of us from getting into a fight with ye. It's that mother hen thing."

"I seem to remember a certain Assassin Cross that needed to be toned down a bit now and then, too. Or does the word 'laboratory' not ring any bells?" asked Zira, mentally jotting down Ghebriel's flinch for later analysis. He stared across at his friend, his hands on his hips.

"Aye, ye've got a point. Both of you, actually; the thing is, Pharin has one, too. We probably won't find him here if there's no one to sell anything to. He probably figured that out already and set out. The marketplace probably isn't even open today so he wouldn't even be there."

"But who?"

"You know who, Zira; think about it for a second. Who did we know that pretty much lived in Prontera?"

There was a pause of silence in which the hint sunk in but before Zira could reply, Ghebriel spoke up, his tone soft as always. "Selling and the marketplace suggest that he might be of a Merchant's background, doesn't it? And if we're looking for him, then it must have been someone that you knew of in a past life that was at least a little important, right?"

"Yes." confirmed Falcone, giving Ghebriel's hand a gentle squeeze.

"And he always slapped your hand away if you tried to rifle through his cart, too." Zira laughed softly, nudging Shujiri. "I think Rine might-"

"Ohmaigawd! A bouncing black jelly!" Sahari's voice screeched.

His train of thought interrupted, Zira looked over to see what the young girl was referring to.

Hopping a small distance away from them was a strange looking, grey-black creature with a green sprout on top of its head. Its circular white eyes watched them curiously as it moved around, hopping onto the few splotches that blotted the otherwise pristine cobblestone only to have them disappear as if absorbed by it.

"So that's what's keepin' the place so clean." Jackel mused. "Was wond'rin' 'bout that."

"It's kind of cute." Dmitri said, watching as it hopped past him, restraining the urge to pet it.

"I'm gonna get you, little jelleh!" Sahari cried out at it, her katars at the ready.

Instant concern and fear flickered to life in Zira and Shujiri's minds as the jovial girl ran towards the helpful little monster.

Zira was the first to find his voice to call out to the Assassin Cross as she neared it. "No, wait, Sahari! That's a Cleaner! If you attack it, it will-!"

But the warning came too late. Sahari's katar sliced into the little creature and it squeaked loudly in pain, pulling away from the offending weapon and its user. Its arm plopped off and onto the ground with a slimy-sounding squelching noise, but another quickly grew back in its place on the stump it had been removed from.

For a brief moment, everyone held their breath as it stared up at its attacker. They had all heard Zira's warning and had a frightening suspicion that they could figure out what it was the blonde hadn't gotten to say.

Dmitri raced for the girl's side as the Cleaner began bouncing closer to her, intent on grabbing her and pulling her away from it. As it reached its round arm out at her he made it, his hand latching onto her wrist. In one quick move, the Cleaner jumped for Sahari, only to have Dmitri jerk her behind him protectively.

In the split second between its movement and Sahari's shielding, the creature made contact with the Stalker, its voice echoing in pure, perfect English in everyone's minds. '_Asura Strike_!'

Sahari's scream almost covered the one emitted by the horned bowman, but before she or anyone else could act, the Cleaner let out an angry bellow so loud that the sound waves it sent forth threw her through the wall of the nearest building. The volume of the scream brought the others to their knees, their hands covering their ears to try to block out the sound.

Shujiri and Zira hadn't even needed to hear the blood-curdling scream that came from the Stalker to know what fate had befallen him, though they cringed just the same when it had come.

When the effects of the Cleaner's cry had passed a few seconds later, everyone was quickly back to their feet, each as afraid as the next to be the first to assess the damage that had been done to the motionless form of Dmitri.

Finally, Zira broke the silence and yelled to Shujiri as the enraged Cleaner made quick work of toppling the building nearest to the one it had knocked Dmitri through. "We have to stop it before someone else gets hurt!"

Shujiri was all too aware of this fact. He still worried for the fallen Stalker and Sahari, though, and although he knew the green-haired man wouldn't have survived such a powerful attack, there was still a hope he could be revived as long as Zira and Lady Lana could act quickly enough. Nodding, he shouted back, "You two see what ye can do about Dmitri, then get to work on Sahari! We'll try to stop the Cleaner and cover ye!"

With everyone clear on what to do, the High Priest and Priestess set out to work on Dmitri as the others went to work fighting the rampaging monster.

As they cast their divine Resurrection spell over Dmitri's body, Zira silently prayed for the safety of the others. One of the things taught to Priests and Acolytes was that the use of Resurrection was limited. Although if done in a certain amount of time after their target's death it was guaranteed to be successful, there was a limit on how many times they were able to do it in a certain period of time. In cases like this, where they were dealing with a foe whose primary attacks seemed to require being in close range to its enemy, the spell casters and ranged weapon users, such as Falcone and Jeliel or Dmitri and Jackel, weren't quite as much of a concern as the others. People like Alex, Sahari, Pharin, Tyr, possibly Ghebriel, and, more often than not, Shujiri, needed to be in decently close-up to be able to fight effectively. Those were odds that had the chance to become very unfavourable rather quickly.

If things went badly enough, the two Holy element users might have to make the executive decision of who to revive and who to turn away from. Neither Zira nor Lady Lana knew if they had it in them nor were capable to choose between people they cared for, no matter the circumstances. Priests just weren't programmed to leave people behind. They were even less likely to cope well with the consequences of being forced to.

In worst case scenarios, each Priest had the ability to forfeit their life for the lives of their companions. But if the need calls for such drastic measures, even (and especially) with two Priests present, then the chances of them being brought back after all was said and done were slim to none. In that case, the odds of everyone surviving another fight with a strong opponent went down exponentially with only the remaining Priest available to help.

And speaking of surviving, Jackel and Shujiri came sailing past them as they finished their spell over Dmitri. They were a tangle of arms, legs, weapons, and expletives that was stopped only by Pharin and Ghebriel who, seeing them hurling in their direction, had tugged the tartan cover off of Alex's cart and held it up as a makeshift net.

As Lady Lana began the process of Healing the now-breathing Stalker, she gave Zira the all clear to make his way to Sahari. The hope was that he could mend her up and then set to work on buffing his teammates as the fight raged on, with Dmitri (again, hopefully) not far behind.

"_Lord of Vermilion_!"

"_Acid Demonstration_!"

"_Piercing Shot_!"

"_Fire Bolt_!"

"_Mammonite_!"

"_Meteor Assault_!"

'_Asura_-'

"_Holy Light_!" Zira shouted out, his holy spell hitting the monster and drawing its attention away from Shujiri and Alex.

"Way to go, blondie!" Pharin tweeted at Zira, flying overhead and watching the monster his master was fighting to survey it for any weaknesses that might be helpful to know about. "You got its attention; now it's just gonna try to kill you, too!"

"Yeeeah..." sighed the High Priest, snapping his fingers in frustration. "I didn't really think that through."

"Gonna run?"

"No; I have a better idea."

"What's that?"

'_Asura_-'

"Cheating at Darts!" Zira grabbed the little blue homunculus as he passed overhead, hurling him at the Cleaner. Pharin's beak passed into the creature's arm, embedding itself in it.

Ghebriel cried out in protest at the action, earning a sheepish shrug and an apologetic smile from the blonde as he fluttered safely past everyone and landed on the other side of them, heading towards the building Sahari had landed through.

The Cleaner, for its part, howled in pain and flailed around a bit, finally flinging the dizzy Filir away from it.

Once Sahari had been fully restored, she raced over to Dmitri just as Lady Lana finished with him and was helping to pull him upright. He inspected the battle before him, vaguely aware of what must have happened but still confused. Lana offered Sahari a smile which she returned as she clutched the Stalker tightly.

When the two stood again, Zira rejoined Lady Lana to watch the fight for a moment. "You take the left side and I'll take the right?" he suggested.

"Agreed." acquiesced the Priestess.

Jeliel sent another round of Storm Gust and Lord of Vermilion at the Cleaner, growling in aggravation when they were simply shrugged off.

Now it was Falcone's turn to try his luck. Holding his palm toward the sky, he summoned a Lightning Bolt from above and pressed as much spiritual energy through his palm as he could, casting Soul Strike at the monster before him. Much to his dismay, these, too, were barely noticed by the monster.

Shujiri used the distraction his friends provided to get in closer to the Cleaner, switching out his katars between speedy attacks with skill and practice granted to him through numerous lifetimes of well-trained use. The only one that seemed to do any noticeable damage was the one imbued with the element of fire, and even that seemed so minute that it was almost hard to pick up on; Falcone's Soul Strike had done more than that!

However, not one to be discouraged so easily, the Assassin Cross continued his attacks as Tyr bit down hard into the Cleaner's leg to distract it from his master.

Once it's attention had turned to the pup, there was a pause in its actions as it seemed to be communicating with Tyr. The only sound that came from either of them was Tyr's growling as he tugged on the monster's leg. Then, at length, the Cleaner pressed its arm against Tyr's snout and a great burst of energy threw him back and into Jeliel's arms.

No one had much time to be concerned for the icy creature; it leaped down from Jeliel's grip and circled the white-eyed monster, waiting for another opening to appear.

Jackel, meanwhile, was getting frustrated. They just didn't make many bullets of different elements; he was basically restricted to the normal, silver, or cursed ones, and they were doing so little against the monster that it was almost laughable. He was out of grenades to use in his grenade launcher to boot, so even that was a useless option to him at the moment.

It seemed that he and Alex were in a similar disposition, however, and as much as they were loathe to admit it, their assistance was only hindering the progress the others made by pulling the attention of the Priests in their direction whenever they would be injured. They stepped back out of the line of fire, hoping that they could prove more useful in the field of observance and advice than fighting at the moment.

Nearly out of acid and grenade bottles to be used, Ghebriel was beginning to find himself a bit at a loss as well. Taking a lead from the Gunslinger and Whitesmith, he moved back and resigned himself to keeping an eye on Falcone, more than willing to jump in for him if the need arose, and pitching out slim white potions to aid the High Priest and Priestess in healing their comrades. The smile sent over Falcone's shoulder at him was returned with a light blush.

Dmitri's choice of Hiding himself to approach the Cleaner turned out to be a beneficial one, and before he could be warned about advancing too close to it, he latched onto the monster from behind it. "_Close Confine_!"

The monster's muscles twitched beneath its skin, trying as hard as possible to move, but it was no use; the Stalker's skill had frozen both of them in place. All it could do was gaze up at the man it had already killed once before and see the smirk on his lips and the vengeful, mocking light glimmering in his eyes.

With the creature rendered motionless, Shujiri and the others advanced on it again, unleashing all hell upon it. They knew they only had a limited time in which to attack before the time frame in which Close Confine operated ended and then they, as well as Dmitri, would need to be ready to move away as quickly as possible.

"_Soul Breaker_! That's for Dmitri, ya shameful!" Sahari screamed, following this up with several well-aimed swipes of her katar.

Then just like that, the skill keeping the monster still lost its effect. Dmitri pushed himself away from it as the others made similar retreats for the time being.

Zira and Lady Lana sent out a rapid round of Increase Agility to the ones still too close in proximity to the Cleaner, aiding in their escape from harm's way. Once everyone had moved away they assaulted the monster with round after round of Holy Light. The attacks were interrupted only when one of them would stop long enough to use Increase Agility, Assumptio, Impositio Manus, Magnificat, and Gloria on the others.

Yes, with everyone back on their feet, the battle seemed a bit more one-sided. It raged on with no signs of ending quickly; spells were cast at it that seemed to almost bounce off its skin while others were a bit more effective. Physical attacks seemed to be doing just as much to it as most of the spells. It was as if the creature was impervious to most everything they could throw at it. It was only when the monster was thrown into one of the buildings that things seemed to take a turn in anyone's favour.

As the fight continued on, the monster grew even more furious at its attackers. The dark-coloured monster gave the stone structure a mighty shove that tipped it over and onto the group below.

The one thing that saved everyone from being flattened by the falling debris was the use of Lady Lana and Zira's Kyrie Eleison spell, which they had cast over everyone to safely cover them with a protective shield that repelled the various parts of the fallen structure. Once it was safe, the shields dispersed, leaving everyone unscathed.

Shujiri flashed a toothy smile over his shoulder at the two healers as a thank you for their quick actions. The smile grew when he noted Lana's blush.

Glancing to Lana then to Shujiri, it finally clicked into Zira's mind what was going on and he, in turn, smirked at the Assassin. When the blue-clad man turned a light shade of red at the gaze his friend sent him and moved back to face the Cleaner, he chuckled softly. He'd have to watch how this developed for his friend.

Before anyone could renew their efforts at fending off the monster again, it let out a screech far worse than anything they had heard from it before. Those closest to it were thrown back into the people behind them while Tyr cowered at Shujiri's feet, his paws trying desperately to cover his ears. Pharin flew back against the icy wolf pup, blown back by the force of the cry. Quickly, Tyr planted one of his arms around him and replaced his paw back onto his ear once he was certain the bird-shaped being was secure.

"How c'n somethin' so dern small make so much dern noise?" Jackel shouted as loudly as he could, still only slightly louder than the Cleaner.

"Ask Sahari!" Dmitri put in, earning a smack to the head. "Ow.."

"Or Pharin..." Shujiri murmured, cringing as the monster's volume increased.

Inwardly, Shujiri and Zira were concerned. Even when a Cleaner was attacked on Void, once it had retaliated against its attacker, it would go back to its typical harmless self and return to tidying up the city. Never had one gone on a destructive rampage like this; it was unheard of. Could this be more of Satan Morroc's dark influence at work? That was the only explanation they could think of. But more worrying still was the fact that if they couldn't take down a simple Cleaner, even as a group, then they certainly weren't strong enough to face the devilish beast himself!

A bright flash of light pulled the Assassin Cross from his thoughts as a deep, strong voice cut through the Cleaner's scream.

"_Grand Cross_!"

With the screaming silenced, the group of friends safely could glance up for a moment to see what was happening. Then, just as soon as it had ended, the Cleaner let out an even more terrifying scream - this time from pain. The scream lasted barely even a few seconds this time, however, before it was over and silence filled the air.

Once it was safe to look up again, Shujiri was surprised to see a Paladin towering over them, expression dark and his white hair messily shifted over one dark eye.

"Thank you for your help.." Zira began breathlessly, unsure of who the man before them was.

Instead of replying, the Paladin held up a hand to silence the blonde. "You are all under arrest for disturbing the peace of this town, assaulting a Cleaner, and the destruction of public property."  
**To Be Continued...**


	25. The King of Prontera

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note:** Ahh, Gakudon; you gave me so much more of a headache than you should have. I had to destroy a bit of his back story and re-work it to make him useful for RoC, but at long last, I think the main details for the story are done. All we should really have to worry about now is just writing it out and keeping up with everyone. Admittedly, that last part will be the hardest...Anyhow, to explain quickly; Chrnos is my newest character on Delusion. He's my Clown/Bard, and is my first attempt at one. Xabel, meanwhile, has been remade at least three other times. We're using them to fill in holes in the plot. I also feel the need to alert you to the creation of a king for Prontera. As well as an entire castle. Creative licensing, we love you! As to the song this time, we've used it before but since they're in Prontera we'll use it again - it's Theme of Prontera. Hmm...I wonder where it's from?  
**Name Explanation:** (1) Vinova - Taken from the Latin "Vita Nova," or, "New Life." It seemed fitting.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: The King of Prontera  
**"Whut d'you mean we're un'er arrest?" Jackel cried out, jumping to his feet in outrage. "We ain't destroyed nothin' 'round here; it was all that-"

"Easy, Quick Draw." Pharin chirped, eying the Paladin standing before them and then glancing around at the other Knights that had accompanied him.

"No, actually, Jackel raises a good point." Falcone started gently. He turned to the white-haired man and continued, saying, "In all fairness, yes, Sahari did attack that..Cleaner, you called it?..but it was that monster that was responsible for the damage you see here."

Firm in his statement, the other man shook his head. "You aren't from this area, I take it? Most people know better than to attack one of those things; especially with their recent behavioral patterns."

"Aye, ye'd guess right." Shujiri confirmed, stepping up.

"We were, er, looking for someone." Ghebriel added.

Speaking up after his unusually long silence, Jeliel hopped up in one smooth move and dusted himself off, his arms going to cross over his chest. "And you are...?"

Interjecting quickly, Zira amended, "What our painfully blunt companion means is, we've not gotten to ask your name after you helped us."

Dmitri snorted. "Saved us, is more like it." An elbow to the side from Sahari effectively silenced him.

The tall man in front of them heaved a soft, weary sigh, his eyes never leaving Jeliel. "I suppose not...Very well, then; if you would accompany me to the palace, I will explain things to you there. There are things that need not be said in public, but I get the feeling that the lot of you are hardly the run-of-the-mill travelers. I would like to avoid creating a spectacle in the public eye."

"Understandable." Lana said, smiling. "Let's go!"

**_At the castle.._**

Standing before a large, elegant throne, the ten friends looked around the room into which they had been lead to wait. It was huge, as was to be expected of a palace - even in such a humble town as Prontera. The decor consisted largely of expensive works of art and priceless instruments that would make any Bard or Gypsy foam at the mouth. Even the ceiling, itself, was a myriad of stained glass art and boundless colour; the sun shining through it sent every colour known to man spiraling down from above to coat the things below it in a veritable kaleidoscope of hues and shades. (Almost bad enough, Ghebriel had made the corny joke, to be "a really bad acid trip." For his part, Falcone had had the grace to bite his tongue and simply close his eyes, his hand resting on the 'Chemist's shoulder. Although, whether it was out of pity or empathetic mortification that his love interest was too flighty to feel himself, even the Scholar wasn't certain.)

Hoping to break the silence that had befallen them as they waited for the Paladin's return, Alex turned to Jeliel with a teasing smirk and said, "Boy, he seemed pretty interested in you; didn't stop staring until we got here!"

"Oh...Sexuality jokes." Jeliel sniffed, looking away. "How..quaint."

Zira and Shujiri snickered as Lady Lana giggled a bit more conservatively into her hand.

"No! That's not how it's supposed to go!" Sahari declared, tugging Jeliel away from Alex. She shoved the dark-haired High Wizard next to Zira and smiled. "That's better." Turning and grinning at Jackel, she asked, "Don't you think?"

The answering uproar of laughter from her teammates, the flushing Jeliel and indignant Zira excluded, was loud enough to echo through the room until a cough caught everyone's attention. When they all turned back to the throne, they were surprised to see the man from before taking a seat in it - with a crown on his head.

"Have I missed that much?" he joked, trying to ease the sudden mountain of tension that had just piled up.

"Er, no. That is-" began Alex.

The king lifted a hand to silence the Whitesmith. "Don't let my change of wardrobe deter yourselves from your earlier airs, by any means. Now, shall we begin the explanation with introductions?"

Jeliel scoffed. "Let's start with yours."

Several things happened at once, now, beginning with Zira's foot making direct, painful contact with the slightly taller man's foot. Next, and with such a small integer of time between it and Zira's action, was Lana's elbow in the High Wizard's side. The others settled for what would, to onlookers, seem like synchronized smacking of various body parts - from the head, to the arm, to the back.

The king merely chuckled. "I am King Gakudon Girard of Prontera. Son of former King and Queen Aice and Anise. And you are...?"

"Jeliel Damasqus, a High Wizard from Yuno and son of Enochiel and Iliza."

Gakudon nodded slightly, his expression becoming that of a man perplexed by something. "And you..?" he coaxed the blonde at Jeliel's side, hoping they would fall in line at introducing themselves without further prodding.

"Ah...Zira Vinova(1), High Priest of The Order of Freya; son of Abriel and Zire. I hail from Rachel, primarily."

"Shujiri, an Assassin Cross originally from Morroc."

"Alex Armyst, a Whitesmith from Einbroch; son of Golbez and Rosa."

"Dmitri Equins; Stalker from Comodo, sort of...Son of Derin and Autumn."

"Lady Lana Aquesta; High Priestess for The Order of Freya, from Payon. I'm the daughter of Thaelib and Lady Nicolette."

"Sahari Y'atamne, Assassin Cross from Comodo, mainly; daughter of..uh..." Sahari faltered slightly, but then perked up again, grinning as she pointed to Dmitri. "This guy here."

Eying Sahari with subtle concern, Jackel said, "Jackel Vane; Gunslinger ex'tr'ord'naire from Ayothaya. 'Parents were Roger 'n' Jacklynne."

"Ghebriel Ma'alin, and the little homunculus on my shoulder is Pharin - my Filir. My father is Embriel and, at least I'm told, my mother was Gwynn. We make our home..Er..."

Falcone took the Creator's hand in his and interrupted, saying, "With me, in Amatsu. I am Falcone Vanalstyne, a Professor from Yuno and the son of Valse and Hawke."

At this, Pharin spoke up, pointing his wing at the icy wolf pup at their feet. "And the puddle-waiting-to-happen, here, is Tyr."

"I see. So," Gakudon coaxed when their introductions were complete, "What is it that brings you to Prontera? And for what I believe I can safely assume is most of you's first visit, no less?"

"We came to look for someone..I think." Sahari supplied, looking over to Shujiri. "Right, Shuji-Fu?"

"Rine." Shujiri confirmed. "We have to find him for something; it's important."

Gakudon's brow quirked. "Oh?"

"Sire?" Dmitri spoke, gaining the king's attention. "By any chance, have the other monsters around town been acting kinda funny? Like, have they been unusually aggressive or more active than usual?"

"They have, at that, now that you mention it."

Now it was Falcone's turn to step up. "We've just made our way from Lutie, where the Knight of the Windstorm, Stormy, was causing a commotion in the Toy Factory. He was uncommonly aggressive - half-crazed, it seemed; Tyr said there was an evil influence over him."

Shujiri, too, spoke again. "His mother, Garm, was under the same influence at first. We know what's causing it, and we know that it has to be stopped."

Suspicious, Gakudon leaned forward a bit. "What might that be?"

"It's a long story."

"Humour me."

"Satan Morroc." stated Zira. He may not have all of his memories back, but he did know for certain that what was being said was absolutely true. Something inside him was screaming out that it was that very beast that was the root cause for the terrible nightmares that plagued him nearly every time he slept.

Shujiri nodded. "It may be hard to believe, but we've gone through pretty much all of this before - some with more memories in-tact than others. Satan Morroc can and will destroy everything in his path if he isn't stopped."

With this piece of serious news, King Gakudon moved to stand again, expression serious. His eyes scanned the faces of the men and women before him. He watched the High Priest, Professor, and Assassin Cross for a few moments before he spoke again. "It does sound hard to believe, you're right." When they started to protest, he raised his hand in a silencing motion. "However, I do believe it. Quite a bit, in fact."

"You do?"

"I've listened to your situation and now it is your turn to hear me out, too."

"Alright."

"As the king of Prontera, certain things are bound to come to my attention that cause concern for me and my royal assistants. One such instance was during a recent game day we held to celebrate the town's 'birthday,' so to speak. One of my guards came to me with news that a Bard was in the middle of town, acting like a fool possessed - and swearing that the town was burning down around him."

"Special in the head sounds more like it," Pharin noted.

"You might have thought so to see the panicked state he was in, from what I was told; Prontera was perfectly fine, but..It was cause for worry. I went to see him personally, but by the time I had gotten there, one of my Lord Knights had ushered him away from the crowd that had gathered around him, saying that the Clown was merely acting out a new song he was in the process of composing. Later, I tracked down that Knight and spoke with him about the matter. He said the man..Well, he said he 'sees' things. Things that can't have happened in this world, but his descriptions were so vivid and the fear so real that he couldn't have been making it up. But we had no idea where he would have gotten ideas such as those."

"What other kinds of things did he see? Was it just Prontera?" asked Alex, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"You must realize, first, that I didn't believe it to begin with. I kept a close eye on the man for a while after that, and the Knight stayed with him. Apparently he had taken to seeking out the Clown to listen to him play whenever he would sneak away from his training sessions, so he had become quite familiar with his behavior when he would stumble into one of those visions. The first one I saw, myself, was one of the more tame events."

"What was it?"

"The Clown, Chrnos...When he has one of his visions, he becomes completely involved in it, acting out the part of one of whoever is in them. That particular incident saw him wandering out the city gates to talk to someone else that must have been in the vision - a High Priest, from what I could gather. He spoke for a while about the hidden shrine in Amatsu, pets, the legendary Endless Tower..."

These things grabbed Shujiri and Zira's attention so violently that they almost felt the need to check for bruises, but the two friends remained silent. They settled for exchanging a serious look as the king continued his tale.

"On a more serious occasion, Chrnos spoke to the Knight as if they were lovers in the middle of a battle with something. By the end of the vision he was so disturbed that he was screaming about something we couldn't even understand and then he just..passed out. When he came to, he had no memory of anything he had said or done. That was unusual, as he usually remembers a good deal of what is revealed to him during these fits. Stranger still was another such occurrence. In the middle of a song, he stopped, turned to the Knight, and said he 'was such a fool for believing every story they had fed him about their beautiful plan.' He said the world would be remade in the image they designed for it, and nothing he did would stop the end from coming. He referred to him as the High Wizard mentioned in a few obscure legends around these parts - sounded as if he thought that man was him, and what's more, he attacked him."

"He attacked?" Falcone inquired, jotting all the things he had heard so far down in his little notebook and shoving his glasses back up his nose.

"Indeed. But in a very..unusual manner. As you may be aware, Clowns and Bards are poets, musicians, and comics. The primary weapons they use are their instruments or their songs. But rather than fire arrows or sing, he seemed to be using the guitar as a sword. He was very skilled at it, too; Xabel and I-"

"Xabel?" The Scholar's head tilted slightly, brows furrowed. That name sounded somewhat familiar...

"The Lord Knight, yes. We struggled for a while against him to subdue him before he finally came to his senses. He was remarkably skilled with the style he used against us for someone who had never held a sword before. And, just like the last time I mentioned, he was confused as to why we were restraining him and why he was so breathless. In the end, he and Xabel set out to try to figure out what those visions meant. I don't know how, but I believe that what he was experiencing is, in some way, tied in with what's happening and with what you've told me."

Everyone was silent as the Paladin king's explanation drew to a close. He was right - it had to be related somehow, but they weren't quite sure why. How was it that the Bard had come into these visions?

"Do you know anyone of the name Chrnos, Shujiri? Zira?" Lana asked softly.

"No such luck..." Shujiri sighed. "But then again, not all the names are the same now as they were before, so it's possible. But ye know, so far, all of us have had the same jobs we had before, so maybe not."

Shujiri glanced to Zira to ask if he had known anyone of that name before they met up in any of their past lives, but stopped at the expression on his face. It was a mixture of surprise and a shock of fear; something Gakudon had said had triggered a memory, and apparently it was a rather disturbing one. "You okay?"

Blinking and shaking his head a few times, Zira jumped slightly as he turned to Shujiri. "Oh- yes. Sorry..I'm fine. It's just that some of that,..It's some of what my nightmares had been about before we met. This time, I mean."

"Then I think finding Rine has just become our second priority. The first should be to find Chrnos and find out what all he's been seeing."

Shujiri glanced around the group to take in their opinions of the idea, quietly noting the perplexed and somewhat aggravated look on Jeliel's face. He would have to ask about it later, but for now...

"Where might we find this Chrnos?"

King Gakudon motioned vaguely towards the east with his right hand. "I believe he and his self-proclaimed 'guardian' are headed for Amatsu. You should be able to catch up to them there."

"Then we're a-goin' east, I take it?" Jackel asked.

"Y'know," Sahari beamed and said, "The consensual age is like, way lower over there."

"That so."

"Too bad the rate of unhappy marriages isn't." Dmitri said casually, eying the girl beside him. "Those consensual gals might want to slow down a bit and wait a few years to finish growing up before-"

"You have to put a damper on everything, don't you, Mr. Realistic?" Sahari grumbled.

Jackel chuckled and patted her shoulder. "'M sure y'all will fig're things out even'chally."

Moving forward to the taller Paladin, Shujiri offered a smile. "Thanks for your help. And for understanding."

Gakudon smiled and nodded. "The lot of you had better take care of yourselves. I guarantee you, your journey only gets harder from here on out."

"Aye, thank ye."

As the gang turned to go, King Gakudon said to Shujiri, "From here, you'll need to go east towards Izlude. You'll be able to find a ship to Alberta there, and once you land in Alberta, you'll be needing another boat to Amatsu. Farewell; I wish you all every ounce of luck this world has to offer you on your mission. May the gods keep you all safe."  
**To Be Continued...**


	26. At Wit's End

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note:** Oh my God, this chapter was eleven and a fifth written pages long. My hand is about to fall off and I'm dead tired from work already, so I'm not quite sure how I had the energy to get to the computer to check my messages - much less type up and post a chapter for RoC. It seems like I'm getting along pretty quickly in it, doesn't it? Although, I'm getting kind of tired of having to pick out theme songs for these chapters...[whine] I guess we'll go with Everlasting Wanderers since it's the theme for Izlude, anyway. Anyhow...Remember how we haven't done much with Rine and Rina since they showed up in chapter fourteen? Well, guess what - it's time to start bringing them back up again! Sort of, anyway...This one features a certain set of rambunctious, prank-loving, trouble-making twins. Guess who? And more importantly, guess why...? Yeah, it would probably make more sense to actually write in the part where Rine and his wife track down Dusk and Dawn for the reasons we have in mind, but I just don't have the mind to do that, so you'll have to just deal with flashbacks and explanations when the time comes.**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: At Wit's End  
**"This has got to be a dream." Zira sighed, slapping his forehead as the group of friends arrived to Izlude only to be met with a considerable amount of the city's residents gathered in the square and complaining loudly. "It seems like I only just have left this place, and everyone was in perfect spirits then. What's happened?"

"Dunno." said the ever-helpful Dmitri, glancing around.

Falcone, too, seemed a bit out of sorts with the surroundings. The lighting of this particular city was simply too bright for his liking. Nightfall would be a welcome change for once.

"We could always ask to find out." Ghebriel proposed, his attention still glued on the bottles in his hands.

Jeliel rolled his eyes at this. "Always a bright idea from this one." he snorted, casting a wary sideways glance at the Chemist. "What are you even trying to do?"

Ghebriel looked up for a moment, smiling. "I was almost out of acid and grenade bottles, so I'm making more!" he explained. "I have to keep an eye on what I'm doing, though, or they might explode. I'm afraid they're some of my more flammable, unstable concoctions. I get the feeling it would probably hurt a little if they did."

"We don't have much time for this crap, genius." Pharin remarked, flying over to rest on Shujiri's shoulder, safely out of harm's way should the clumsy Alchemist make a mistake or drop his products. "Forget askin'; we have to get busy with that boat to Amatsu! Or didn't you wanna find that Chrnos character? Personally, I can be reborn as many times as that airhead wants me to, but no airhead means no me. And I kinda like me. And it seems to me you're probably running outta worlds to try again on by now, eh?"

Shooing the homunculus away, Shujiri sighed. "Much as I hate it, he's right." he stated with a small frown. "We just haven't got the time to interfere right now. They'll probably figure it out themselves, whatever it is."

As they made their way towards the docks a few minutes later, a loud exclamation of "Watch out!" was the only warning the teammates had as a pair of twins rushed through. Shujiri, Sahari, Lana, and Dmitri were all quick enough to step out of the way, with Alex and Jackel just barely missing the two as they jumped away, but the two youngsters collided hard with Jeliel and Ghebriel, who likewise landed on and knocked down Zira and Falcone.

Ghebriel's startled cry was nothing in comparison with those of Falcone and Shujiri who, upon seeing the bottles go flying out of the Creator's hands, knew exactly what was about to happen.

But before they could act, however, each bottle was caught by a falcon - ones that apparently belonged to the boy and girl they had just been bowled over by. The two birds landed on a nearby branch after carefully depositing the bottles into their maker's hands once again.

"Ohh..Ow..." groaned the boy, rubbing his head gingerly as he sat up and looked down at the High Wizard beneath him. "Sorry about that..."

"We did try to warn you, though..." the girl put in sheepishly as she looked to the Alchemist she lay next to and smiled. Pulling herself up, she offered the two men a hand up which they gratefully accepted. Although, with her being a child still for the most part, the majority of their weight was pushed up by themselves rather than her pulling them up.

Jeliel simply glared at the boy, nudging him off of him so he could stand. Once he was up and had dusted himself off, he tugged the youth up gently.

Zira smiled down at the two, moving towards them as they took a place beside Alex and a scowling Jackel to check themselves over. "You two aren't hurt, are you?" he asked.

"I think we're fine." replied the male, smiling back. "I'm Dusk and this is my sister, Dawn, by the way."

Before the blue-clad Assassin Cross or either High Priest could respond, Jackel crossed his arms and stated, "Y'all oughta watch out where yer a-goin', kid."

Sahari, Shujiri, Lana, Dmitri, Ghebriel and Falcone gave the Gunslinger a funny look at his words. He was being rather more unlike himself than usual from what they could tell or remembered. Certainly, he seemed jovial enough before the twins had arrived, and they didn't seem to be much younger than Sahari, so it probably wasn't because he just wasn't that good with kids...

All at once, Ghebriel and Falcone exchanged a look of sudden, surprised realization. As the Professor took the dirty blonde by the shoulders and guided him away, Ghebriel stepped up in his place and offered the twins an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that." he said softly, casting a glance at Pharin to try and communicate to him to keep the agitated man busy for a while. "He's, uhm, a bit out of sorts at the moment."

Curious, Dawn and Dusk tilted their heads but let the matter drop. "That's okay." Dusk assured the Chemist. "Sorry again for running into you."

"Not a problem." Dmitri smiled and said for the others. "Sahari here is pretty clumsy, too; you should have seen her when she was trying to pass one of her job exams. She tried to climb up the statue, but ended up ripping a huge hole in the-"

Turning a bright shade of red, Sahari shot a mortified look in the still-fuming Gunslinger's direction before she slammed her foot down on the Stalker's foot as hard as she could. "For the love of llamas, don't say that! Shut up, shut up, shut _up_!"

The twins, Shujiri, Zira, and Alex all laughed (some more quietly than others) at the piece of information as Dmitri jumped around holding his injured foot. A couple of Heals from Zira and Lady Lana later, and he was scolding the girl for her action. Sahari just smiled innocently.

"Well, we should go." Dawn said at length, tugging her brother's sleeve.

"We need to get going, too." Shujiri added, moving forward to round up his friends. "We're runnin' out of time."

Whistling, the twins summoned their birds back down to them. Once their feathered companions were nearby, Dusk smiled at the blue man and waved. "Hope you guys get done with whatever you're running low on time for!"

"Be careful." Falcone put in with a kindly smile at the two.

With that, the two groups went their separate ways.

"They seemed pretty nice; I wonder if they knew what's got the rest of this place in such an uproar?" Alex mused.

"No telling." sighed Lana, glancing back over her shoulder at the shrinking forms of the siblings.

"Nope, ain't no tellin'. No sense a-wastin' time here wond'rin' 'bout it, either. Bes' git a-goin'." Jackel bit out in practically a hiss, stomping ahead of the others with a glare fixed on his features.

Ghebriel and Falcone glanced at each other as he passed between them. A sigh came from the pair; ahh, there were some serious issues that would need addressing pretty soon.

Shujiri sighed. He wasn't sure what it was that was bothering the gunman; he hadn't really ever had a lot to do with him before, after all. It seemed, however, as if the Creator and the Scholar might have a rough idea of what was going on. Their worried, knowing looks only served to prove this suspicion, so the Assassin went over to them to pry a bit for information.

Normally, if it seemed as personal as this did, he would try not to bring it up. This wasn't at all a normal time, though; he needed everyone to be as on top of their game as they could be. If whatever was eating at Jackel wasn't resolved or at least touched on soon, he might not be in a stable enough condition when the time came to face Satan Morroc again. And as much as he hated to admit it, Pharin was right - they probably didn't have many more chances left. Not only that, but every time they failed, they let down another whole planet's inhabitants - people who most likely weren't getting the chances they were to go through their lives all over again.

He didn't have the chance to ask the two men his question, however; just as he opened his mouth to speak they had arrived at the docks and were greeted by a noisy captain and a town guide.

"Ye come to sail the seas, eh?" the captain asked, grinning merrily. "I can take ye somewheres, for a good price, o' course!"

"I'm sure it's a good price." Jeliel smirked and said. Turning to Zira and Tyr, he whispered, "For his pockets, at least..."

Zira shot him a short, scolding glare, although the slight upward turn of his lips betrayed his amusement. Tyr just tilted his head.

Shujiri turned to the captain, offering a grin of his own. "Aye, we need a ride to Alberta, thank ye kindly. How much is the going fare?"

The captain inspected the group for a moment, weighing the options open to him. They looked like a relatively well-off lot for how old they seemed to be, certainly. He glanced around at each of them again, taking stock of their professions.

Two Assassin Crosses; those could be downright dangerous when messed with. No, best not to make the price too high with them present. Then again, with their profession, they were probably paid handsomely enough for their deeds that a little extra zeny on the top of the price might not bother them too much.

A Professor; he looked to be pretty well-groomed and high class. Ohh, he could probably charge a fortune from him!

To the redhead's side was a Biochemist; he seemed like a nice enough lad, albeit a bit spacey. He was an iffy bet - he didn't seem grounded enough to know when he was being cheated in matters of money, but if he was wrong, he ran the risk of having his ship - or more importantly, himself - blown to bits.

There was also a rather polished-looking High Wizard. He definitely had on enough nice things to give off the air of a big spender...Well, that, and people of magical professions tended to be pretty wealthy to begin with in his personal experience from dealing with them.

A Stalker. Now that was tricky. Those tended to be just as diverse as it could get. Some were easily fooled, others were suspicious but fell for it regardless. The more dangerous category, however, was the one in which this man's air seemed to fit. They were the ones you'd pay dearly for messing with because they were expertly trained in how to hunt down and pay back the ones that crossed them. It was little wonder they came from the same stalk as Assassins, after all. That type came in two forms: the ones that you could read in their eyes, immediately, that they meant business, and the kind that seemed perfectly content and personable - even borderline naive sometimes - until you made them angry. That second type was the worst, and sadly enough, this one seemed like he fit the bill for it perfectly.

There was also a Gunslinger present. Usually, the captain didn't hesitate to overcharge them. They didn't really seem to care one way or the other and would just pay up and be on their way. This man, however, seemed to be in a foul mood - a very foul mood. He knew Gunslingers had a tendency to be rather trigger happy, and wasn't about to push his luck with this one. As it was, he could almost swear he recognized the man's face from somewhere...

Not far behind him was a Mastersmith. No debate here; there was just no way he could pull the wool over the eyes of someone that dealt with forges and trade for a living.

Lastly, there were two clergymen - a High Priest and Priestess. They seemed nice enough, not to mention foolish enough to pay whatever price he gave them. That, you see, was the common misconception about holy servants. Everyone had this strange idea in their heads that Acolytes and Priests had to be dirt poor. Ha! A good look at the blondes before him proved that wrong instantly; they had shields, bags full of things on their backs, weapons..The male even had a scythe, for Odin's sake! Besides; even if they weren't stupid enough to blindly trust him that the price he set was fair, they were Priests! What were they going to do, Bless him to death? Priests were probably the weakest people alive, right?

After a short time of deliberation, the captain spoke again. "Alright; there be ten o' ye, aye?"

"And a bird and..uh..." Dmitri trailed off, looking at Tyr.

"A dog." Pharin said simply, pausing in his impatient preening to speak.

"Aye, an' two pets. Okay, the price is set at five thousand per head."

With a mumble from a few of them, everyone began digging around for their money pouches. After a few minutes, each of them turned up empty-handed save for Shujiri, Sahari, Dmitri, and Jackel.

"That's funny..." murmured Zira, frowning. "I had a whole bag of zeny, and my gemstones were in it, too, but I can't find it..."

Lana, too, frowned. "I seem to have lost mine, too..."

Concerned, Shujiri asked, "Where did you have them last?"

"In Prontera, during the fight with the Cleaner." the blondes answered together.

"I can cover for you if you want, when I find mine." Ghebriel offered in his typical soft tone, feeling around for his pouches at his sides, hips, and thighs. After a moment or so, he paused and flushed slightly. "Oh, dear, I..I can't find mine, either..." He glanced up at Falcone sheepishly.

Falcone, however, shook his head. "My money and gems are missing, too."

Even Jeliel came up empty-handed, much to his displeasure. Opening the bag on his back revealed even more of a surprise. "What in the Hel-? My gold's gone missing, too!" he cried.

Alex held his hands up. "I don't know where it's all gone, but I guess I can foot the bill for now. I've probably got enough stashed in my cart to make up for the amount." he said with a smile. He removed the cover from his cart and his eyes widened. "Half of my stuff's gone missing!" he shouted.

From ahead of them, the captain made a humming noise of recognition. "Ahh, ye must'ae fallen victim to those rotten brats." he said sagely, arms crossing.

"Brats? Who?" Sahari asked. "What are you talking about?"

"There's been a rash o' things gone missin' lately. Ye run into those two kids, they bowl ye over, 'n' when yer attention's elsewhere, they take what ye got on ye and scram. Half the town's been fooled by them kids."

Dumbstruck realization formed on the group's faces at who he must have been talking about.

Jackel was the first to recover, his hands drawing his revolvers from their holsters immediately in the blink of an eye. "I knew it! I knew it! Them dern, no-good, thievin' brats ain't nothin' but bad news!"

Falcone lowered the man's arms so that his guns were back beside their holsters, startled by the volatile outburst. "Let's not over-react." he advised. "Thieves or not, they're both still just children."

Lana smacked the back of Jackel's head, her expression one of horror. "I can't believe you! They may be rotten little thieves, but that doesn't mean you can go off and try to-"

"Relax; he didn't actually say he was going to shoot them. Maybe he was just going to shoot _at_them." Zira soothed the angry woman.

Sahari looked to Dmitri, whispering, "There's a difference?"

Ghebriel replied with a cheerful smile, "Of course there is; one - shooting - involves aiming a device, weapon, or projectile of some form at a target with the intention to hit it-slash-them. Shooting _at_something entails taking aim somewhere near to but not on your intended target - a tactic primarily used to scare-"

Shujiri slapped a hand on the Chemist's shoulder. "I'm pretty sure she didn't really ask with the intention of getting an answer, but good job." He turned back to Jackel, Zira, and Lana and said, "There's nothing for it now but to try and catch them and get our money and belongings back; that's all we can do right now." Shooting a firm look at the irked Gunslinger, he added, "And, no, we can't shoot or shoot at them."

Dmitri looked up to the sky, watching as a star flashed across the sky overhead in the evening's last light. "It's getting pretty dark; not much light left." he commented, lowering his eyes to gaze across at Shujiri as Sahari pressed against his side to rest her head tiredly on his shoulder. "We don't even know if they're still in town, much less if the names they gave us were their real ones or not."

"If they were smart, then they probably weren't their real names." Alex put in.

Zira shook his head slightly. "I didn't sense that they were lying about that, though."

Jeliel arched an eyebrow at this. "Ohh, so they were really telling their real names when they were really robbing us. That makes me feel so much better; at least they had the decency not to lie to us while they were doing their dishonest deed!" He threw his hands up, turning away from the High Priest. "I don't get how you think just because you didn't sense them lying means that they weren't. And how is it you didn't sense them stealing all of our-"

"Lex Divinia!"

Although the High Wizard's mouth kept moving for a few seconds more, no words escaped his lips. Realizing what had happened, he glared fiercely at the blonde as he turned back to face him. He pointed to his throat in a demanding manner, the glare hardening.

"No!" Zira yelled, stomping one foot on the ground angrily. "You never shut up; is complaining the only thing you can do? That and sarcasm? And you never know when to keep your big mouth shut! Yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, and every word of it is either whining, or sassy, or argumentative!"

His arm lifted from his side and he pressed his index finger hard against the High Wizard's chest, jabbing him with almost every word for emphasis. As he continued, he backed the other man up against the tree nearest to him, stepping forward with every step the taller male took back and stopping barely inches from his face.

"And your little one-sided rivalry with Falcone is getting older than all of our ages combined, Jeliel Damasqus; I don't know why you've got it, and Odin knows I don't know where it manifested from, because you certainly weren't this unbearable before! Regardless, the best - and safest, for you - thing you can do about it is to get over it and accept that you are both a part of the team, like it or not! And where do you get off demanding anything of me, or Shujiri, or anyone else, for that matter? Maybe when you grow up, shape up, act like a mature, civil adult, and actually pull your own weight to prove you are as valuable to this team as your stubborn little self won't admit you want to be, then maybe, _maybe_you can start! Until then, I've had enough of your diva moments! D'you hear me? E-N-O-U-G-H, enough!"

Silence was dominant for a moment as everyone took in the scene and what had just happened. That had certainly been..unexpected, to say the least; no one had really ever known the blue-eyed man to get so angry about, well, much of anything. Vindictive? Occasionally. Annoyed or frustrated? Now and then. The only other instance they had to go by was what they had seen - and in the cases of their newest recruits, heard of - involving Shujiri and the Knight of the Windstorm. Certainly, that was nothing compared to just now.

Despite being silenced by Zira's spell, even Jeliel seemed to be speechless. He settled, instead, for watching the blonde as he moved away, feeling somehow that the smaller man was completely justified in what he had said and offended at the same time.

At length, Shujiri found his voice again to speak, albeit awkwardly. "Well, uh..With that under our belts...I guess we need to find a place to stay until morning. There was an inn not too far back."

As they slowly ambled back to town and faded from sight, the old sea captain was just grateful that he had restrained himself from jacking the price for a ride to Alberta up too high. Apparently some Priests were just as dangerous as any Assassins or Stalkers, and they didn't even need weapons to manage it.

**_A few hours later..._**

_Another beautiful day had arrived at the ranch and as usual, he was out at the range practicing on his aim. It was simple enough; find an inanimate target, take aim, and fire. Repeat. This continued for a time until the sun began to set slowly towards the horizon, at which point he made his way back to the house._

_But something was wrong._

_As he approached the quaint little house he and his wife shared, he noted that he couldn't hear any noise from inside it. Usually, his wife would be bustling around making dinner or feeding the baby by this point. Either activity was proceeded through with the holy woman's voice humming through the open door in song. She had such a beautiful voice, too._

_Brows furrowed in concern at the absolute lack of sound within the home, he quickened his pace a bit and stepped through the door. That's when it hit that something ws definitely wrong. Chairs were overturned, vases that had been in his wife's family for years were shattered on the floor, book cases were knocked over onto their sides and on their fronts with the books and pictures that had been lined up on them spilled onto the floor in haphazard piles..._

_Panic was welling up in him at the sight of the mess when he suddenly heard a soft rustling of fabric in the other room. He placed his heads on the weapons at his sides and stealthily made his way back to the door of the baby's room, where his three-month-old daughter would normally be sleeping peacefully or being fed._

_But when he whipped around the door frame, his blood ran cold at what he saw. There, on the floor, lay the young Priestess he had taken for his wife. The mother of his child was motionless and blood was seeping through her otherwise pristine robes from the chest. Her beautiful blue eyes, normally so full of life and laughter, gazed unseeingly at the ceiling above her._

_And not far from her, an infant lay face down on the floor, as silent and still as its unfortunate mother._

_Not even the scream forming in his throat had the time to be let free before he found that a hand had covered his lips, preventing him from making any noise. Just as he was about to pull his weapons free and put them to use, another arm squeezed around him tightly - effectively blocking off all of his upper body movements. The hand attached to that arm pried each weapon away and dropped them to the floor, kicking them a good distance across the room._

_Once the intruder was satisfied that the man in his grasp was pretty much defenseless, a small chuckle emitted from their lips. "You just don't learn, do you?" the man's voice whispered in his ear. "How many times are you going to get close to people while we're still at odds, hmm? How many more lives do you want me to take before we finally break free from this annoying cycle and end the repetitiveness?"_

_His voice, though the hand was removed form his mouth, still wouldn't come out; all he could do was keep his petrified, furious, and sorrowful gaze on the forms of his wife and his daughter. Right before his eyes, another woman's body materialized beside his wife's. This one, he realized, had been his second wife - from his second life. She was beautiful, even in death; an elegant Soul Linker named Rosemary. A gash across her head was bleeding profusely - as was a small wound at her stomach and a gruesome slash over her throat._

_"I'm just going to keep killing your girlfriends, you foolish man. But rest-assured, I'm not going to let you off the hook, either." The hand that had previously covered his mouth was suddenly at his throat, fingers curling around it delicately as if meaning to hint at what they could easily do if their owner so chose. "I'm still going to get you, just like I have every time before; don't worry your hot head about that. I just like to watch you squirm a bit first." The hand tightened and a pulse of fear pumped through his veins for a moment until the grip was lessened to a mere caressing touch that ghosted over his skin before the grip of that hand and his other arm tightened again. "Oh, and, by the way..."_

_A third woman's form appeared on the floor, this one closer to his feet. If he weren't furious and terrified before, he certainly was now, after he realized that he had become very acquainted with this third girl recently._

_The voice's owner stepped out to stand before him, sharp black eyes somehow still shining in contrast to the dark room around them._

_"Keep your eyes on the little Assassin girl, Jackel."_

Two screams echoed through the inn in Izlude, each waking the other occupants of the room in which the screamers had been sleeping.

Jumping awake immediately, Shujiri ran to the High Priest's side, his heart rate up considerably from the sudden scare of being startled awake by the terrified blonde. Gripping Zira's shoulders, he prepared to shake him the rest of the way into the world of the waking to calm him down and ask what was wrong. He was thrown off of this plan, however, when the still half-asleep and very scared Zira grasped his scythe from the bedside and swiped it towards him. It was only his speed, granted through multiple lifetimes' worth of training as an Assassin, that kept him from being spliced cleanly apart by the sickle-like weapon.

"Zira- Zee, calm down!" Shujiri yelled, leaping in and disarming the High Priest before trying to make physical contact once again.

Finally able to recover from the shock of being woken up by Zira's scream, Jeliel was by the two's side in a flash, with Alex and Tyr not too far behind. "What's the matter? What happened?" he asked, grabbing onto one of the blonde's shoulders as the Assassin Cross took the other, shaking him.

It didn't take long for consciousness to fully find Zira and he glanced around at the people gathered around him for a brief moment. Once his surroundings sank in, he pressed against Shujiri, overcome with tears.

Nodding towards the door, Shujiri's eyes made contact with Alex's in a silent suggestion to go and check up on the others. There had definitely been two screamers, so surely they would be trying to find out what was wrong and what had happened in this room, too. And if Zira's reaction to being approached in his half-conscious state after what must have been a terrible nightmare was anything to go by, then if they tried to take the same approach with the person he suspected had emitted the second cry, things could get very nasty very quickly.

Silently nodding his understanding, Alex swiftly made his way to and through the door to go check on the situation the rest of their traveling companions were in at present.

Once it was just the three of them and Tyr, Shujiri bent down to Zira and gently moved him back to ask again, his tone softer this time, "Are ye alright now? What happened?"

Nodding, Zira sniffed and patted at his eyes with the cuffs of his sleeves. Once he was confident that his voice wouldn't waver too badly, he said, "A- a memory...Sort of. But..Not mine..." His brows furrowed at this. "It started off like one, but..after a bit, it was more like having a direct conversation with someone. Only, they were the only one talking. It was terrible; a dead woman and a baby, then another dead woman,- Sahari! The last thing that happened was them telling Jackel to keep an eye on Sahari, but you said her name was only just changed to that in this life; how could it be a memory if...? And those terrifying black eyes!"

As he listened, Shujiri's felt his heart drop a bit. Could it really be? In their past attempts at fighting Satan Morroc, the Gunslinger had been rather specific that the Sniper that was always inevitably present was to be left to him, and they did tend to fight as if there were no others involved in the battle...But in the end, Jackel's hotheadedness towards the bowman's mocking and taunts would always prove to be his downfall. If it really was a dream of the Gunslinger's past merging with a warning from the present, then...

After a few moments, the Assassin Cross looked at Jeliel and said in a somber voice as Zira curled into himself and watched their exchange, "I think we just got an idea of why our pal freaked out earlier..."  
**To Be Continued...**


	27. Outwitting the Tricksters

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note:** Wow, yet another chapter posted in such a short period of time. I know that this chapter will seem like pretty much nothing but filler, but there are a few important details in it that you'll probably need to know for later. The next one is more interesting, I promise. However, I'll admit that I had too much fun writing the cross dressing and final scenes for this chapter. Also, it's getting harder and harder for me to resist throwing in that fourth plausible pairing; it tempts me every time I have them talking to each other...Anyhow, it's music time. The song this time is Higher Than the Sun, which I'm about 80 percent sure is from the Amatsu fields. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Outwitting the Tricksters  
**One slightly restful, relatively eventful night's sleep later, the group of friends sat together discussing plans for how to get their money back. A few ideas had already been dismissed due to the sheer stupidity of what they entailed.

"Why don't we just track them down and get our stuff back that way?" asked Sahari, leaning to the side against Jackel.

Since the man had woken her with his screaming, she hadn't left him alone for longer than necessary. No one would tell her what the nightmare had been about, but she knew it must have been painful to go through judging by the unshed tears in his eyes when Alex had finally gotten him to wake up completely. And for some reason, he kept reaching for his throat to touch it gingerly - almost as if he had hurt it somehow. Even more unusual still, since waking up, he had mentioned hurting between the shoulder blades and over his heart, but when checked over by both healers, nothing was found to be the cause. In fact, there weren't even any scars anywhere near the affected areas.

"They aren't stupid enough to stay put while we just grab our stuff even if we tried an ambush." Pharin explained. He was in a bit of a bad mood; his food had been in with his master's stuff, and now both were missing. He was getting hungry, damnit!

"Why not try to trick them into getting close enough to where we could take it all back without incident?" Jeliel suggested, suppressing a yawn and leaning back a bit so the Priest could more comfortably lean against his side as he napped through the conversation.

Shujiri paused, staring at Jeliel. After a time of silence, he said, "I can't believe I'm about to say this in this lifetime, but, that's actually a good idea!"

Giving the Assassin a blank look, Jeliel stared for a moment. "What?"

"You're onto something, there." Shujiri rephrased. "If they see someone new, they pull their tricks on them, right? They already saw us, but we need to get back the things they took. So what do we need to do now, to get it back?"

"Hope their conscience gets the better of them?" Alex snickered.

Ghebriel looked up from Falcone's shoulder. "Flush them out of hiding with explosives and-"

Falcone silenced him with a finger over his lips, and Shujiri stared at him for a second, disturbed, before he moved on. "Not quite."

"Show them someone else?" Lana inquired, catching on.

"Exactly! And I even know how."

The Assassin Cross turned his level gaze back onto Jeliel, giving him a cool, sly smirk.

**_A few minutes later..._**

"What's the matter? Ye should be finished in there already." Shujiri called into the stylist's room at Jeliel. He knocked once on the door for emphasis. "We don't have all day."

Glancing back over his shoulder to where Zira and Jackel were sleeping at the inn again, Alex mumbled, "We might have a couple more hours, though."

Ghebriel giggled softly and knocked on the door. "I'm sure you don't look that bad; come on."

Opening the door, Jeliel held his cloak clasped tightly around his frame, glaring daggers at the three waiting for him. "I have no idea why you forced me into this if it's not because you want to make a fool of me. I have my dignity, you know!"

Ghebriel and Alex gently prodded his sides as Shujiri snickered, "You look like an overgrown bat like that!"

Pharin tweeted from a branch overhead. "I guess the loud mouth just doesn't want his stuff back. Maybe we should get Falcone to try; he might pull it off better than this-"

That got Jeliel's attention. Glaring at the Filir, he pointed accusingly as he yelled out the quick spell for a minor Storm Gust then put in, "That won't be necessary, thank you! But I refuse to be the only one who looks like an idiot! Someone else has to wear one too."

Dark eyes stared Shujiri down until, finally, he sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay; I'll try it out, too. But I am _not_ going to wear it out in public."

**_Another few minutes later..._**

Shujiri stepped to the door of the stylist's office, a light blue dress clinging to his muscular form. behind him, he was dragging Jeliel out to stand by him. The High Wizard wasn't in too much better of a shape - he was also stuffed into a flowing dress, though his was roughly the colour of his cloak. Being that the Assassin's hair was shorter, a simple blue bow was all that had been added to his hair, while Jeliel's had been taken down and fell down his back and over his shoulders freely. To accessorize it, there was a large, floppy bow headband the colour of his dress. The bow dropped down one side of his head to give the effect of differently-sized bunny rabbit ears. Neither looked very happy with their current arrangement.

Pointing to the stylist, Jeliel hissed, "You did this crappy job on purpose! I know you did!"

The woman snickered at his words. "Far from it; these are the looks that suit you best. I can't help it if you make lousy women. If you'd given me more to work with, I could have given you a better result."

Looking down at himself and then inspecting Jeliel, Shujiri sighed. His dark blue eyes glanced to the woman for a moment, debating their options. He would never pass for a believable female; his muscles made it too hard for the dress he wore to accent the right areas in order to deflect attention away from how _un_womanly he was. Jeliel, more or less, had a similar problem. Although not as strong as him, the temperamental man's shoulders were broader and his body too firm to be a woman. Plus, his temper was quick to flare up; should he get angry or aggravated enough, he might blow their cover.

Shujiri shifted his attention to Alex. There wasn't a lot they could do besides what they already had in mind for this plan if they wanted to have a good enough chance of getting their things back. He thought for a few more moments before he finally donned a smile.

Maybe he wasn't looking at this with the right approach in mind. If you want to make someone think they're dealing with a woman, you need to have more than just the ability to act like one..

His eyes slowly slid onto Ghebriel, his smile widening little by little and sending a chill down the Creator's spine. As the light-blue-blonde backed up a bit, he said gently, "Ghebby, old buddy, go get Zira..."

**_A short time later..._**

"No. No, no, no, and just in case you didn't catch it the first time, no. I refuse to take part in your demented endeavor to demean us." Zira stated, arms crossed over his chest as he turned his back to Shujiri, Alex, and Jeliel. "If you want someone to dress up like a woman so badly, you two do it. I refuse."

Clearing his throat, Ghebriel chuckled nervously. "I'm afraid they already tried while you and Jackel were sleeping. They didn't do a very good job of pulling it off believably..."

Zira turned back to the Alchemist, eyes wide. "And none of you woke me for it?"

Stepping up, Falcone placed a hand on Ghebriel and Zira's shoulders. "Let me assure you, all of the options were looked at. Of the ten of us, you two have the slightest build and the most easily manipulated appearance and voices. They simply couldn't pull it off. The only option left was to resort to using you and Ghebriel."

Jeliel quirked a brow, and Alex started, "How do you know? You weren't- AH!"

Falcone flashed a smile at the Whitesmith that had just barely dodged a bolt of lightning, his red eyes sparking in a clear, silent warning for silence as he pulled the Creator a bit closer. He suppressed the urge to flinch as the smaller male twitched nervously under his grip as he said, "I suppose it must be about to storm; that was a narrow miss."

Alex frowned as Shujiri, Jeliel, and the stylist snickered.

"Why can't we just put Lana or Sahari into men's clothes?" Zira asked weakly, backing away from the others.

"They'll be too obvious." Alex pointed out, motioning to his chest.

"Why not use Dmitri?"

"Recognizable features, muscular upper body and legs. No good."

Zira crossed his arms again, frowning. He knew when he lost a battle, and he had lost this one pretty quickly. Really, he couldn't even argue against their points - they were too valid. Sighing, he uncrossed his arms and allowed the others to surround him. "For what it's worth, I blame my father."

Shujiri snickered. "You look nothing like the man; never have."

"Maybe not, but he wanted a daughter."

"Ahh, that just explains so much." Jeliel said with a cocky smirk.

Zira just glared at the High Wizard as he and Ghebriel were ushered into the building. Just before the door closed behind them, he cast a Lex Divinia over his shoulder, hitting and sufficiently silencing the Wizard.

It wasn't long until the stylist re-emerged, a big, satisfied grin on her face. "I told you boys that if you gave me something to work with, I'd give you a high-quality result. I'm happy to tell you that, this time, you did a good job of picking people out for me. May I present to you,..." She stepped out and moved to the side, motioning to the door. "Gabrielle!"

There was a span of about ten seconds between the introduction and the rustling of fabric, then Ghebriel stepped out nervously. Long, puffy sleeves that were two shades darker than his typical ice blue uniform covered his arms, a courted ruff of a similar shade at his throat. The length of the dress he wore was tinted to a slightly darker colour by the overlaying layer of black lace. His ponytail had been pulled down and carefully tied back into one positioned higher up, his bangs feathered and swished to the side to cover one eye. The goggles he typically wore atop his head had been replaced with a set of fresh laurels.

Falcone was at the frazzled man's side in less than an instant, his notebook in hand as he sloppily jotted down a few things, his fiery red eyes not once leaving the Biochemist. Stylist tested, Falcone approved.

Giggling, the stylist motioned back to the door again. "And now presenting, Zoira!'

No hesitation followed the introduction this time. Anxious to lure the twins in and get this humiliating day over with, Zira stepped gracefully but purposefully out into the day.

A reisz helm adorned his head, the white frills on its sides and green gem centered on his forehead accenting with the rest of his outfit perfectly. Whereas Ghebriel's dress had been more loose to allow his slightly more built frame to move freely without giving himself away, Zira's slender, more or less feminine form was fitted with a more form-fitting fabric. It, too, had two layers - one the exact shade of mint-sea-green his typical garments were, and the top layer made of sheer lace that was a few hues brighter - and was decorated tastefully by floral lace patterns down the sides and at the edges. The cross necklace at his throat was more visible now, and the blue gemstone earrings dangling from his pointed ears had been changed out for light green ones. The stylist had opted for braiding his hair in one long train down his back to complete the ensemble.

Laughter was the first thing to come from Pharin, but Shujiri, Alex, Jeliel, and Falcone were all speechless. The stylist hadn't just given their two friends a makeover; she must have given them both a sex change!

Finding his voice again, Shujiri fought back the chuckle clawing at his throat and shook the rainbow-haired woman's hand firmly. "I have to admit: ye did an amazing job."

The woman giggled again. "Think nothing of it; those two brats stole some of my dyestuffs, after all. I'll just be glad to see them get a dose of their own medicine!"

**_Back at the inn..._**

"So what we need, now, is a plan; we need to discuss how to approach the situation when the twins come up to..." Shujiri snickered, then continued, "Zoira and Gabrielle."

"I still think y'all oughta jes' shoot 'em." Jackel grumbled, his mood from before brightened only slightly by having woken up to the amusing sight of two of his new male friends wearing women's clothes and practicing at speaking in a higher pitch. (If Ghebriel hadn't sounded like an airhead before, he certainly did, now.)

"And we still can't do that." Lana sighed.

Alex spoke up at this. "You and Dmitri and Sahari could all surround them so they can't run when the rest of us get close enough to ambush them, Shujiri."

Zira glanced over at the 'Smith. "That's actually not a bad idea; you can use your training against theirs. There are more of us than them, after all."

"You're forgetting two things." Jeliel threw in, prodding Zira in the shoulder.

"What would that be?" groaned Lana.

"They're Snipers."

"...And?"

"Snipers have two main weapons: their bows, and...?"

"And what?" Sahari inquired.

Jeliel facepalmed. "And falcons. You know - their birds? Those things with claws on their feet and wings and beaks?" The Wizard poked at each item on Pharin as he listed them.

Pharin's indignant tweeting was all the warning Jeliel got before his beak pecked painfully at his hand, hopping away from the offending digits. "They're called talons, face-ache."

Ghebriel nodded in understanding as he patted Pharin on the head soothingly. "Oh, yes, their birds. Those might be a real problem; they can go incredibly fast, and their eyesight is among the best in the world! Even their wingspan is-"

"I believe they get the point now, my love." Falcone whispered, stopping the Biochemist mid-fact.

Recovering from Pharin's retaliation, Jeliel added, "And now that you do, what exactly do you plan to do about them?"

Silence, and then Pharin said, "Since we're dealing with birds, why not let me and the frozen runt take care of them? I've got an aerial advantage over you, and he's got the same tricks up his snout his mama has."

Tyr looked at Shujiri and the Assassin nodded in understanding. "Alright, so that's taken care of. We need to get everyone in place. We're losing sunlight the longer we take."

With an affirmative nod from the others, they set out form the inn and made their way to the outskirts of town.

Once the friends were out of sight, Ghebriel whispered to Zira, "Remind me again: why were we volunteered for this?"

Zira sighed, tossing his braid over his shoulder to stop himself from messing with it. "Because in one of our past lives, I don't know which or what it was, we must have done something that put a target on our backs in the eyes of the gods."

"What would have been that bad that Shujiri didn't tell us about?"

Glaring back over his shoulder at the place he knew the snickering Assassin Cross would be, he murmured, "Murder, perhaps? That's the only thing I can quite come up with right now, and really, it does sound terribly tempting at the moment."

Ghebriel smiled and took a good step away from the fuming Priest. Hoping to change the subject, he asked, "So, uhm, I understand that you and Jackel both had the same nightmare last night. How often do you sync up with your surroundings like that?" he had the urge to pull out a notepad and take notes, but he suppressed it.

Zira sighed again. "I don't know that I've _ever_ done it before..I mean, yes, I _have_ had terrible dreams in the past, but none to my knowledge that were someone else's. I realize now, after meeting up with Shujiri and all of you, that most of my dreams and nightmares are really memories, but they've only ever been from my view point - I was never in someone else's place watching their memories..."

The slightly troubled look on Zira's face brought Ghebriel to ask, as he smoothed out a wrinkle on the front of his dress, "What were some of them? And why is it that you, Shujiri, and Pharin remember so much more, so much faster, than the rest of us?"

The blonde shook his head. "I don't know; I'm honestly at a loss to explain it, myself. Maybe we're closer to the problem, or you've had some reason to repress the memories; there's no telling. You'd may as well ask why Jeliel and Sahari remember the least."

"What about the dreams?"

"They vary; some are good, some are bad. The first one I had was when I was still undergoing training in Rachel. There was a big field and there were monsters all over the place - some big and terrifying, others small and annoying. It was creepy; there wasn't a trace of sunlight, and even the trees would chase you around. Shujiri was guiding me around and although his face was blurry, it had to have been him. I remember saying to him that I shouldn't even be in that place, but he said to trust him - that I should try to use my shielding spell on us and test out some of my holy magic. I asked how he knew we wouldn't just get ourselves killed and he said he didn't, and that it was all up to fate and how much attention I had paid in classes and in services."

A small distance away, Shujiri smiled fondly to himself at the memory. He knew what Zira was talking about; back in their first lives, just shortly after they'd first met, he had gone to Niflheim Fields to train a bit. The Priest, concerned for his safety even at such an early point in their friendship as he always would be, had come along with him to offer support. They had become friends pretty quickly thanks to Zira's mother hen tendencies, and he was grateful for the blonde worry wart's offer of companionship. Life had begun to get a little less lonely after their first fateful encounter with one another.

Hearing that the blue-eyed clergyman was still speaking, he listened closer again.

"Then there's another, where you and Falcone must have just met; you looked a bit different, but from the way he looked at you in the dream and how he does now, it must have been you. He seemed intrigued; you talked to each other for a while, but it was long into morning before either of you fell asleep. There was some kind of time change, then, because the next scene into the dream, you were already dating and he asked about leaving me, Shujiri, and Jeliel - no, though, he didn't mention us by name - to travel together so you could be alone."

Ghebriel flushed slightly, and from his hiding place, Falcone felt his heart swell with pride and joy. The past few days had awakened a few memories of his love for Ghebriel, and hearing that he had pretty much always been in love with the inquisitive young man gave him the drive to try even harder to remember more about their lives together. Had they ever had any major fights? Did they ever end up in some weird plot like they were now? How had they met? How did they die?...Why was Ghebriel so nervous around him?

"There were also the bad ones. They were terrifying; most of them involved watching people die and not being able to help them. Then there was one where we must have been fighting Satan Morroc, but I'm not sure how it comes into play..."

"What do you mean?"

"In it, I'm trying to get to someone to talk to them - to beg them to call off the fight and reconsider their intentions. I don't know who it is, just that he..I don't know how best to say it, other than that it felt- feels, like he meant a lot to me somehow. But before I can get to him, someone's blocking my path; a Paladin with blood red wings. He says something, although I can't hear what it is. Next thing I know, there's this blinding pain in my stomach and he leans down, says something else, and kisses me. Shujiri's screaming somewhere off in the distance, and when he drops me, I wake up screaming. And every time I have that dream, I always feel this stabbing pain where it was in the dream for a few days after it. I don't know who that person is, why he kisses me, or what's going on other than that, but it's still frightening."

With the telling of this story, Shujiri and Jeliel exchange a look of understanding with Pharin. They remembered what event their friend is discussing, and they knew exactly why it was so terrifying to him. Shujiri knew for a fact that a bit of Zira's information was slightly off the mark. When he saw the purple-clad Paladin draw his sword, he had run over to them as quickly as possible to try and stop the inevitable. However, he was too late; the man thrust his weapon through Zira's abdomen before he could stop him. When Zira had heard him scream, he'd been right beside him...At least the loss of the holy man's perception so rapidly after the attack meant he hadn't suffered for long, but just the same, he kicked himself for not being able to save his closest friend - for not being able to save any of them, in the end.

A sudden outcry of "Coming through!" shook everyone from their thoughts.

This time, Ghebriel and Zira were able to gracefully jump to the side to avoid the head-on collusion with the Sniper twins. Although allowing themselves to be hit would have been more authentic, it could potentially blow their cover. They couldn't afford to let Dusk or Dawn get too good a look - or feel - of them until their guard was sufficiently lowered and the others were in place.

Turning to face the two once they had skidded to a stop, Dusk and Dawn put on a smile. The boy asked, "Are you okay? that was pretty close."

Zira threw up a smile of his own and replied, his voice pitched higher, "Oh, goodness, dears; we're just fine! Are you?"

Ghebriel set to making a fuss about their well-being while Zira flashed a quick look in Shujiri's direction from the corner of his eyes. With the signal sent, Shujiri motioned to the others to approach carefully and slowly.

Dawn moved closer to Zira as Dusk switched to stand on the other side of Ghebriel. "Sorry we almost ran into you." she said with a shy smile. "We weren't looking where we were going, and we were in a bit of a hurry. We lost something important."

Placing a gentle hand on Dusk's shoulder, Ghebriel gasped. "You poor little things! Is there anything we can do to help find it?"

"Like call your bluff and point out that you're lying?" came Jeliel's voice from behind them.

The twins jumped, startled to see the High Wizard from the previous day closing in on them.

Off to the left, Alex put in, "And we know you are, so there's no point in lying about that, either."

On the right, Jackel stepped up and blocked the siblings' path, a triumphant, smug smirk painted onto his face. "Yer messin' with the wrong bunch'a people; y'all oughta be more careful 'bout who ya decide t' make fools outta, y'dern pests!"

The siblings looked at each other, then at Zira and Ghebriel, who had advanced behind them and grabbed them by the shoulders. It had been a trap! It was a friggin' trap, and they had fallen for it!

Alarmed at their situation, Dusk whistled to summon his falcon..but nothing happened. Dawn, confused, tried to summon hers but was met with the same result. A meek call from Dusk's falcon was the only response they received until Tyr walked out from the bushes, Pharin on his head, with two falcons carefully held in his jaws.

Ahead of the twins, Lady Lana and Falcone came into view, a small smile on their faces. "We'd be more than happy to offer you a trade." Falcone offered in a kind voice. "You see, you happen to have grabbed a few things of ours when we last met, and we need them back. Likewise, we now have your falcons - and I think you may be needing them."

Glaring, Dawn struggled against Zira's grip. "You sound kind of sure you guys have the upper hand. What makes you think we didn't come prepared with some surprises of our own?"

Appearing from seemingly nowhere, Dmitri dropped an armful of recently disarmed traps in front of the girl, his hands moving to rest on his hips. "You mean like these?"

Eyes wide, Dusk spluttered for words for a moment before he finally found his voice again. "Our traps! How did you even-"

"Fufufufu," Sahari chuckled, revealing herself directly in front of Dusk's face. "He's older than you babies. And smarter. And gayer." Dmitri threw in a protesting 'Hey!' and she continued. "And, he's a Stalker. Picking up on that kinda thing is in the job description."

Shujiri uncloaked himself, moving to stand before Dusk and Dawn. "But stealing isn't in yours, I bet. So just give us our stuff back, give up the thieving business, and we'll all get on with our lives. Sound fair?"

There was a period of silence from Dusk and Dawn in which they seemed to be weighing their options. These people seemed decent enough, but if they said no, there was no telling what they would do to their falcons..or them. If they said yes, they would just end up back in the hole again as far as their finances were concerned. But what other option did they have? They couldn't see another way out of the situation they had gotten themselves into.

Sighing in defeat, the twins hung their heads. "We give; you win." Dusk muttered.

Slowly, Ghebriel and Zira released them. Their friends prepared to grab them if they started to show signs of moving to escape, but they were happy to see that they meant what they said.

In rapid procession, Dusk and Dawn emptied item after item and pouch after pouch from their bags onto the ground. The owners of the items plucked their things up with a 'thank you' and moved back. Mindful of the two falcons, Shujiri snapped his fingers and, on command, Tyr released them.

Just as the last person's things were proclaimed, an old woman's voice shouted, "Look! Over there! It's those two thieving brats!"

"The townspeople!" Dawn cried.

Dusk frowned. "We're sunk!"

Throwing the bags they had with them to the ground, the twins took advantage of their captors' distracted state and fled, their falcons quickly giving chase after their terrified masters.

Shujiri watched them run off, shaking his head. What the older twin yelled to his sister as they vanished from sight, however, caught his attention again.

"This is just way too much trouble! If I knew we'd end up like this I never would'a said we should prank that fruity 'Smith!"

Flying to sit on Shujiri's shoulder, Pharin asked, "Shouldn't we go after 'em? It sounds like they know our guy."

"But not by choice." Shujiri chuckled. "They probably do, but they're just too far gone now. We can't afford to waste too much time on little things yet; we need to find Chrnos, find out more about our situation, and then we can start actively looking for Rine again."

Alex cleared his throat. "We have our things back now, which means we can get that boat ride to Alberta. Should we get going? Or are we spending another night in Izlude?"

"We should get going." Dmitri suggested.

"Aye." Shujiri agreed. "There's nothing left in Izlude that we can do for now; let's go."

"Not so fast." Zira spoke up, arms crossed over his chest as he tapped his foot impatiently.

"Eh?"

"We're changing out of these dresses and back into our real clothes first, or we aren't leaving."

Rolling his eyes, Shujiri shook his head and laughed softly. "Ye have a point; we've put you two through enough for the night. Alright, we'll go back to the inn so you can change and then we'll set off for the docks. Sound good?"

Ghebriel smiled. "That sounds perfect, thank you."

As they started the short trip back to the inn, Falcone placed his arm around the Creator's waist, murmuring to him, "Are you sure you want to change so quickly, dear? That nice woman went through so much work to do such a wonderful job, after all.."

Smiling, the Creator tossed an acid and grenade bottle at the Professor's feet. As the Scholar jumped back just in time to avoid being blown up (or at least considerably injured, considering how little was in each bottle), he caught up with Zira and waved back over his shoulder. "I think I'm positive; thank you, though."**  
To Be Continued...**


	28. Bon Voyage Departure

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **Oh, God, help me. This story's turning into one of the longest I've ever written (much less helped to -have- written by someone else) and it's not even A THIRD OF THE WAY DONE! I had a few random drunken moments of my own as I wrote this chapter, so I thought I'd incorporate a bit of the random conversation my friend and I had into it (with names replaced, of course) for the sake of our amusement. (It was just too fun to write Zira and Sahari being totally drunk as heck, and the broom scene was worth more than its fair share of a few chuckles, too; in the end, even though I had been debating removing them, they stayed.) I realize this chapter seems a bit more forced than the others have, and that's my fault; I apologize. I'll have to go back and fix it later when it's more in me to work on it properly. Really, I just needed to get this up and posted. (And I was sorely tempted to kill off Lady Lana.) I wonder if you can guess who the captain is supposed to be...? Anyway, we need a theme; it's going to be the song played for the Clown/Gypsy ensemble skill, Lullaby. It's so relaxing...**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Bon Voyage - Departure  
**A resounding groan echoed around the group as they approached the docks.

"The ships have all left for the day." explained the town guide apologetically. "There's nothing we can do for you at the moment, but you're more than welcome to come back in the morning and board one then. Captain Morigan just set sail with the last load of passengers for the day."

Jeliel frowned, nudging Zira. "You two just had to go and change."

Glaring in response, the Priest scooted away from his companion.

Turning to go home for the night, the guide apologized again. "I really am sorry for your predicament. Come back in the morning and we'll see what we can do."

When the man had disappeared from sight, Shujiri sighed. "I guess we can't do anything tonight; we'd may as well go back to the-"

"Yer givin' up so soon, matey?" a rough male voice said from behind them.

When the friends turned to face the owner of the voice, they were astounded to see a tall man in captain's garb approaching. His coat was thrown loosely over his shoulders, a big, friendly grin over his face. He stopped his advance only when he was a few feet away from the travelers.

Startled slightly, Sahari said, "Duh? It's not like we can catch a ride on an imaginary ship. And who are you?"

"Me name be Captain Drake Marina, an' aye, ye be right. But what if I offer ye passage on me vessel? Free o' charge, so long as ye pull yer weight until we make landfall."

Dmitri chuckled nervously. "We'd probably have to ask where the ship is."

"Are ye daft? Behind ye, o' course! In th' water!"

The Stalker glanced over his shoulder at the empty docks, then glanced to Shujiri. "Unless I'm imagining things, there's no ship there."

Drake laughed. "Aye, not ta th' naked eye. But wait..." He snapped his fingers.

He motioned behind the group and they turned to face the water, surprised when a large, elegant ship began to seemingly materialize from the hull upward. Its many sails were decorated beautifully with a dragon's silhouette and the masts towered over the deck, crafted from the world's finest and firmest wood. At the bow of the ship, a marvelously carved dragon served as the figurehead; its wings were spread as if ready to take flight at any moment, its jaws open in a silent cry of the ship's dominion over the seas.

Then, all at once, the ship sprang to life.

From the top masts, an Assassin Cross and a Stalker leaped down to land with a graceful thump on the dock close to the captain, each one sporting a mix of a smirk and a grin as they faced the group of friends. (Well, Shujiri and Zira mused, at least they knew now what had been keeping the ship hidden from view; they just weren't sure how they had pulled it off. They were positive Ghebriel and Falcone would have more than a few questions for them, however.)

Jumping down from the deck where he had been fixing the bolts on a mounted cannon, a Mastersmith landed in a crouch on his feet, his muscle mass and height causing a loud slamming sound to follow his landing which caused Zira and Sahari to jump slightly. He stood upright, only a little shorter than the captain across from him, and placed his hands on his hips.

More and more crew members came out from the ship to greet their captain and inspect the newcomers, and it didn't take very long for the group to realize how large the man's crew really was. An Assassin Cross, a Stalker, a Mastersmith, three Gunslingers, a High Priest, a High Wizard, an Archer, two Soul Linkers, a Knight, a Star Gladiator, countless Thieves and Merchants...

Laughing again, the captain moved to clasp the Assassin Cross and Stalker on the shoulders, his grin widening. "So good ta see ye didn't run off an' leave me, lads!" He turned to face Shujiri, still smiling and said, "Boys, I think these land lubbers be needin' a ride ta Alberta. We're goin' ta let 'em come with us!"

Looking questioningly to Captain Drake, the Stalker asked in a silky voice that was coated in a strange, mildly thick accent, "A bunch of strangers, captain?"

"Aye, strangers. An' ye can be countin' 'em as an extra bunch o' hands 'round th' ship, Ghost."

Uncertainty crept up Zira's spine as he stared at the people near and on the ship. "Ghost?" he whispered softly to Shujiri, brows furrowed.

The blue Assassin Cross shrugged, unsure of the unusual name as well.

"Ahh, don't ye worry 'bout this bloke; his name be Vladmir, ye see. Ghost be a nickname o' sorts. Fitting, what with th' abilities him an' Kurt here have. No one else be able ta do th' things these two lads can, not in any crew I've seen. Fine lads - good workers." Drake slapped the two men on the back. "Twins, though Satan Morroc take me if they look a bit like it."

The ship's Mastersmith spoke up, now, his arms crossing as he gazed up to the ship and then back at Drake again. "Cap', we've got ourselves a problem with them coming along."

"Aye? What be th' problem Torq m'boy?"

"There's not room enough for more people, cap'; sure ya've noticed that by now huh? Don't know that most of the fellas will be too happy to turn over their rooms to strangers ya picked up off the docks of Izlude." Torq shot an apologetic look to Shujiri and the others. "No offense, 'course." He turned back to Drake again. "Besides, the added weight's gonna weaken the sharp steering abilities ya made me work so long puttin' into this ship. The parts're wonky from the last raid already and we're already over the maximum-"

"Now, don't go talkin' ta me like I know what th' deuce yer sayin', boy; either way, don't ye worry 'bout a thing. Th' trip's a short one an' I be gettin' th' feelin' we can trust this lot'a kids."

Nodding, Torq turned back towards the ship and took hold of the anchor. He whistled a high note and a Champion grasped the massive chain links that lead up from it. The foggy-blue-haired Champion tugged mightily on it and hoisted up his sky-blue-haired 'Smith friend.

"Well, if the captain says you're comin' with us, welcome aboard _The Black Dragon_." Kurt said with a smile that, by his very nature, was mischievous.

Not long after the captain gave his orders to the crew to set off, they were on their way to Alberta. As they left the port, the captain called up to his first and second mates, "Set visibility ta minimum, fellas, we're off!"

Curious, Shujiri and the others craned their necks back to see what the pair of twins would do.

The long, platinum-haired Stalker planted his feet on the crow's nest he stood in, red eyes closing in concentration. Beside him, Kurt mirrored his action and touched his palm to the mast, his green bangs falling over his golden eyes. Their surroundings flickered for a moment and then vanished, leaving only the ocean below them visible. Even with the deck beneath their feet unable to be seen, they were still stopped from falling to the water below. Ghebriel and Alex leaned down to press their palms against the invisible surface they stood on, and then, as quickly as it had disappeared, the ship was back in view again - as if it had never disappeared to begin with.

"What 'n tarnation jes' happened?" Jackel murmured.

"Those lads 'ave it all figured out." Drake explained simply, a proud grin on his face as he placed his hands on his hips. "They pump a li'l o' their energy inta th' ship an' she gets th' same effect they do o' it. Th' result, as ye can see, is a ship full o' people what can see it an' each other, that no one off th' ship can see. Recruited th' fellas from th' Thieve's Guild, I did; been loyal 'mates e'er since then. Now, about yer payment..Half'a ye get ta swab th' deck; th' other half'a ye will be in th' galley wi' th' cook ta help prepare meals."

With a sigh of understanding, they started off in their assigned directions. Before they could all get too far, however, the captain put out his arm, stopping Lady Lana, Sahari, and Zira before they went by. "Except th' three o' ye; ye'll be keepin' me comp'ny an' tellin' me why ye be needin' ta get ta Alberta so bad fer."

**_A bit later.._**

"Sho Shuji-Fu's like..Y'know? 'N' then there'sh th' teacher pershon.." Sahari slurred, swaying slightly as the alcohol buzzed through her. "Sssho, fuggin'..Head over toeses with that shorter guys and ssshtuff."

Zira giggled at Sahari, Lana having opted to remain the sober one in case a problem arose. "As if you aren't flirting your, uhm, brains out wif Jackel!" Another giggle, and a thank you to Alex who had been summoned to refill everyone's glasses. "Yooou, are way into that..person, thing...Slingshot guy!"

Alex facepalmed at the visual these words summoned and walked off. Lana laughed softly. "But you were the one to share a dream with the man." she reminded them. She turned to face them, smiling teasingly.

"Not by opinion!" Sahari objected.

"Oh I- I think y'meant, uhm, choosing!" Zira offered, laughing.

"Whatev'! Shhhame dif'! Yooou, have that, taller guy. The hat one. With the hat. And his hat. What were we talkin' about now?"

"Hats, I think, my dear."

"Ohh yeah! Hats are coo'..."

Between them, Drake chuckled. "Yer an amusin' lot, ye are. Do ye have names, m'dears?"

Sahari and Zira paused in their chattering, surprised for a moment. Then, recovering, Zira replied, "This is Sahari to my side 'n' this gal there is Lana Lady. Oops, uhm, I mean..Lady Lana. I'm Zira."

"Ahh, aye; lovely names."

Below them, on the main deck, Shujiri stood before Jackel, a serious expression on his face. He stared hard at the Gunslinger before him, a broom held in his hand. Likewise, Jackel stood with his back straight, eyes boring into the blue Assassin's. He, too, held a broom.

"You have crossed the wrong man, Jackel Vane - outlaw of the western world." said Shujiri.

"Yer a fool if'n y'think y'c'n git th' best'a me, Shujiri - feared Assassin'a the east!" Jackel shot back, a cocky smirk forming over his lips.

"Say your prayers to your heathen god, foolish Gunslinger, and let us begin this honourable battle. I will kill you quickly."

"Ha! Yer gonna have ta try harder'n'at t'git me, varment! The only one what'll be six feet under when we finish here's you!"

With these declarations made, the pair rushed at each other, their brooms colliding loudly. Their serious expressions melted away into playful, competitive grins, and they jumped away from one another, their broom weapons at the ready for another attack.

The first Gunslinger they had seen earlier watched Shujiri and Jackel duel for a bit, silent but attentive. At length, he walked up to them, seeming curious about something.

They paused in the fight to watch his approach and Shujiri said, "Hey, you're..Bennett, right?"

The other man nodded quietly, looking between them for a moment. He regarded the two men for a few moments before he motioned to the broom in Jackel's hand.

Brow quirked, Jackel held it up. "Y'want us gittin' back t'work 'gain?" he inquired.

Bennett shook his head, then pointed to it again. Following this, he turned to Shujiri and looked down at the one in his hands, motioning to it as well.

"I'm afraid I don't understand ye." Shujiri said apologetically.

Bennett pointed to the kitchen, his eyes never leaving them. His gaze remained level, patient, and passive.

"'S there a mess y'want up?" Jackel proposed.

Again, the black-haired, angel wing-eared Gunslinger shook his head slowly.

A quiet laugh floated over to them from the railing of the ship, earning the three's attention. Curious, Shujiri and Jackel turned to face the direction it had come from. When they did, they were met with one of the only two Soul Linkers on the ship. He was watching the exchange from a short distance away, good-humoured laughter dancing in his violet eyes. He moved to stand beside Bennett. When he stopped, he patted the gunman's arm gently with a smile.

"What's s'dern funny?" asked Jackel.

"You two." replied the ginger-haired Soul Linker. "I'm Amune, by the way."

"Uh-huh..Jackel Vane, 'n' this is Shujiri."

"Pleasure."

Speaking up, Shujiri asked, "So, why are we so funny?"

"Because Bennett's kind of hard to understand."

"Aye, not talking a lot will do that to ye. What does he want?"

"He doesn't talk very much, and even when he does, he doesn't really say a lot. He said you two have been working, and playing, hard; he wanted to know if you wanted to take a break and get some food. Your friends have almost-"

A loud explosion cut Amune off, followed by a thick cloud of smoke from the galley. As quick as a flash, the Soul Linker, Bennett, Torq, and Hughes, the ship's High Priest, were racing for the galley to see what had happened.

Jackel and Shujiri stayed behind for a few minutes, unsure of what just happened. Then, after a moment, Jackel blinked and asked, "Which'a our pals was in'at kitchen?"

"Falcone, Jeliel, and-" Shujiri paused, eyes widening in realization. "Ghebriel."

"Aw, y'don't think-?"

"Jackel, there's no thinking even required. It's _Ghebriel_."

"Y'got a point there, pardner."

As the two ran off for the kitchen, the ship's High Wizard descended from his perch on one of the masts to land gracefully on the deck, his ivory and gold wings fluttering gently behind him. Casting a look in the direction of the galley, he started off quietly in the opposite direction, his eyes moving to the area where Captain Drake, Sahari, Lady Lana, and Zira were.

Drake spotted the man relatively quickly and smiled. "What brings ye ta me at this time o' night? Yer us'ally up on th' masts keepin' th' bad weather at bay!"

Curious, Lana interjected, "If I may interrupt to ask, Mister Drake, what do you mean by 'keep it at bay?' There's not really much to do for bad weather besides work around it, right?"

"Yer a good lass, but ye don't 'ave a very active imagination, methinks. Nay fer mos' people that be th' case but fer me, no storm's ever stalled out Cap'n Drake! Not since 'e picked up this lad 'ere! Ye've heard rumours about some High Wizard land lubber what was th' mos' powerful Rune Midgard ever saw, aye?"

"Aye- er, yes. But he's never been proven to exist. Most people think he's nothing more than a legend; the stories of his power and abilities are too big and most likely exaggerated for any man or woman to have been able to do the things he's supposed to have."

"Think again. Mavrik here's th' force behind me ship's sailin' power. 'E's learned himself how ta counter all kinds o' weather we encounter here on th' waters. No one like him 'round, I tell ye."

"I didn't teach myself how to do it. I just..know how." Mavrik said. "But, captain, I didn't come down to hear your kind praise; there's a strong storm brewing that I'm afraid even I can't stave off. We need to turn around and get to port before it hits; we can still get to Izlude again before it catches up with us. If we're caught out here in the middle of it, I don't need to tell you what might happen as a result."

"Ye worry too much an' give yerself too little credit, Mavrik, m'boy! Ye'll do fine! Now, no more'a this doom an' gloom talk from ye! Get back ta yer duties, an' when th' storm hits, ye'll come back up an' work yer magic. Heh. Heh heh, magic. Like me pun, ladies?"

Lana gave a weak smile as Zira and Sahari cracked up, using one another for support as they laughed.

With a small frown, Mavrik nodded a goodbye and made his way back to the galley. He knew he was right about what was coming, and he knew he could never fend off the storm himself. Luckily, the group they had picked up at Izlude also contained a High Wizard. This was a good thing; he could try to enlist the testy male's help for when the time came. All he would really have to do is try to teach him a bit of what he knew as far as using his elemental powers to alter and control the weather was concerned. He just hoped that Jeliel was a quick study...  
**To Be Continued...**


	29. The Raging Tempest

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **First and foremost, we need a theme; let's go with Wind of Tragedy which, according to google, is from the PvP arena. (Seeing as how I shy away from PvP unless it's a duel with otouto to test out skills and builds on each other, I wouldn't know.) What will come of Mavrik's concern from the end of the previous chapter? You'll have to read this one to find out. [cheater author is cheating.] I realize that the last chapter seemed a bit ominous and cut off seemingly quickly, but believe you me; if I had combined it with this chapter as I'd originally planned to do, it would have been killer long. So I split it up and, incidentally, added yet another chapter I hadn't counted on having into the story. Thus making it even longer than I'd originally thought it would be. Ah, well...**  
****Misc. Note:** (1) 300 feet tall - Considering that, according to Google, the highest tsunami wave on record is around 1,780 feet tall, 300 didn't seem like quite a stretch - just big enough to make it dangerous but not break reality altogether. (Not that there's much reality to the world of Ragnarok Online anyway, that is.) I'm also well aware that the things you've seen so far, and will see in this chapter, done by Drake's crew and our characters alike are big stretches on the abilities and skills they're given in the game**. **Please bear with me; it's called creative licensing, and it's helping me get more drama into the story. (And I love me some drama.) As far as the weather is concerned, I have no idea how to combat storms; if people knew that, they could probably start trying in real life. Thus, the idea mentioned below was born. (And I'm not sure how they have hail in a hot-cold storm, but there you have it. xD I just wanted to make their lives suck a little bit more.)**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six: The Raging Tempest**  
Shujiri stared up at the sky as he took a break from mopping the main deck, his eyes scanning the area for any trace of light. It was an unusually dark night and he didn't like the silence surrounding them. His instincts were telling him that something was wrong, but if Kurt and Vladmir hadn't detected any cause for alarm yet, then perhaps everything was fine. He could just be overreacting...Right?

Speaking of Vladmir, the Stalker landed with almost no sound just to his left, eyes gazing up to the crow's nest for something.

Subtly, Shujiri glanced towards it, his curiosity piqued. It wasn't long before Kurt gave a small wave over the edge of it, and then Vladmir's eyes were back on the ocean ahead of them.

"What's up?" Shujiri asked lamely, not really sure what to say.

Vladmir shrugged. "Mavrik asked us to keep an eye on the weather with him. He is convinced there is a storm coming." he explained. His red eyes seemed a bit wider now than earlier as he watched the gentle waves lapping at the sides of the ship. A flash of lightning in the distance came and he squinted slightly, the pupils of his eyes shrinking down marginally. The flinch at the corners of his eyes were nearly unnoticeable, but the Assassin's training helped him to pick up on it.

"Don't like storms? Zira's not too fond of them, either."

"It is not that; my eyes are sensitive to light of many forms. Daylight can be a painful experience that way, so I learned to hone in my senses to guide me around without bumping into things so that I can be in it without keeping them open for long. Bennett is the same in a way; he is blind in one eye because it is also sensitive to light. He was blinded by a flash trap during a raid. Amune would not leave the medical quarters until Hughes could assure him he would be okay upon recovery. Because it took so long for Hughes to be able to get to him during the raid, though, the damage was permanent."

Shujiri blinked as he processed the information Vladmir had divulged so far. "How do ye know what Bennett's trying to say if he doesn't actually say anything?"

"We do not." Vladmir shrugged again, eyes still watching the horizon. "Amune is the only one that can read him exactly right. The rest of us make guesses and hope that we are right; Bennett has never been one to say much at a time. It is rare that he says anything at all. He stays close to Amune in part because Amune is overlooked by many of us a lot and even was left behind once. Bennett is the only one that remembered to bring him back to the ship before we left; he does not have a memorable personality to most of us. He has become an unspoken protector for Amune, and Amune in turn has become his voice."

"That's nice of him.."

"Yes."

It sounded familiar to how Falcone took care of Ghebriel, to be honest, or to how they were told Xabel acts with Chrnos. Which just served to remind him that they needed to get to Amatsu as quickly as possible to catch up to them. Still, it was unusual for someone to be visually sensitive to the light - especially someone from the Thieve's Guild. The Gunslinger had seemed less responsive to things on his right side, he supposed..but what was it that made them light-sensitive to begin with?

On an unconscious whim, his thoughts traveled to the colour of their eyes and how few people he had seen with it. To his knowledge, the only person he knew of with eyes as eerily blood-red as theirs was Falcone. Every other man or woman he'd encountered with them, their eyes had been less severe - less piercing and calculating. That's when realization struck him.

"So it's something to do with the light sensitivity that makes your eyes that colour of red, right?" he asked.

Vladmir flinched at another flash of lightning, this one much closer than the one before it, and looked at him. "Yes. How do you find this conclusion, though?"

"You're that way; your eyes are red. Bennett's less responsive to things that happen on his right side, which tells me he's got problems seeing out of it. That's the side his red eye is on. Lighter than yours, but I'm guessin' that's because it doesn't, erm, 'work' anymore. Aye?"

The white and gold-clad Stalker nodded. "Yes."

"And my Professor friend, Falcone - the one with the glasses. He has the same colour eyes as you two. I always figured the glasses were from studying too much, but maybe it's just as much because he's light-sensitive, too, as it is that."

"You are very perceptive."

"Assassin Cross. Ye notice things." Shujiri shrugged.

Another flash of lightning, and this time Vladmir visibly winced and stepped back towards the shadows cast by the mast they stood near. "It is getting much closer."

"Or at least we are."

"I need to find Mavrik and inform him."

With this, 'Ghost' took his leave, eyes closing against the lightning that flashed over the horizon and lit up his frame, highlighting his silvery hair in an almost ethereally fashion.

Shujiri wasn't alone for long, however, before Jeliel stepped out to stand beside him. Dark eyes were trained on the sky above as he pondered what to say to voice his thoughts.

"Pretty, eh?" Shujiri chuckled as the lightning struck the water. "Wish Lady Lana were down here to see this."

Silence.

After a few minutes, Jeliel took in a deep breath and, exhaling, said, "Sure, I guess it is. But something's..wrong."

"Wrong?"

"I don't know. Off, maybe. I've seen a lot of storms and they don't really bother me; I got used to their severity in Yuno. Zira, however, is in the cabin clinging to Tyr and Alex for dear life..but...Something doesn't feel right about this storm."

"One; he's sober enough to realize it's storming? Two; I agree."

Jeliel nodded slightly. "He Healed himself sober."

A pause. "He..Healed...?"

"I didn't know that worked or was even possible, either."

"Ye learn something new every day..."

"The price he pays for doing it is being grilled by Falcone and Ghebriel."

Silence again. The two men kept their eyes to the heavens as they neared the storm, feeling rather uneasy about the situation but not sure how to explain why.

There was a few moments of silence until Shujiri felt a hard thunk on the back of his head. He rubbed it gingerly, looking to his side at Jeliel. "Was that necessary?" he murmured.

Jeliel turned his face to look at him, blinking. "Hmm? Was what necessary?"

"Givin' me a good whack on the head."

Jeliel stared at his friend for a moment, silent, before replying. "I haven't yet, but I can if you want me to."

Though confused, Shujiri let the matter drop.

A harsh thump on the back of the High Wizard's head brought him to spin around to face Shujiri, eyes blazing. "What's the big idea? Why did you have to do that? I said I didn't do anything!"

One of Shujiri's brows furrowed. "What?"

Thunk. "Ow!"

"Okay, now I know I didn't do anything. I didn't even touch you."

"Then what the Hel-"

"Ouch!"

"Didn't do it."

Hughes's voice called out towards them from across the deck, earning their attention. "Look up you fucking idiots!"

As the two complied with the unusual Priest's demand, they registered hearing Zira yelling out two rounds of Kyrie Eleison just before the sound of a gunshot filled the air, drowned out almost completely by the clap of thunder following almost immediately after it.

Above them was a large hailstone, inches from landing on their heads when Bennett's bullet pierced and shattered it.

Stunned, Jeliel and Shujiri stood in place for a short time longer before running for the cover of the cabin, calling a thank you over to them over their shoulders.

They stayed in the cabin for a while until Mavrik, drenched and looking worn down, burst in with Kurt at his side. His emerald eyes scanned the faces of the people there - some crew members and Shujiri and Zira's group of friends - for a moment. He seemed to be debating how best to say what he needed to as his eyes finally fell on Jeliel and locked with his.

No words were required, however, and the darker-haired of the two stood with a frown. As he made his way to him, he left the others behind with unasked questions.

Kurt took hold of their shoulders, Cloaking them long enough for the barrel rolling along the deck of the tempest-tossed ship to pass harmlessly through them. Upon removing it, his eyes went to the crow's nest where his brother stood uneasily. He was perfectly aware of how vulnerable the Stalker was alone above them facing the unusually bright flashes of lightning. For the most part, his sibling was trying to stretch out his senses enough to keep tabs on everyone's condition and remain wary to whether or not there were obstacles in the ship's path while keeping his sensitive eyes closed off from the light as much as possible. It was proving to be harder than it should have; Vladmir just wasn't used to spreading himself quite that thin.

"Will you two be okay to get to the masts from here? I must make my way back up to Ghost and see to him." Kurt yelled over the storm.

"I think we can handle this just fine, thanks." Jeliel yelled back.

A large wave rose over the deck and Mavrik cast Cold Bolt over it, freezing the wall of water in place. Jeliel advanced to it and, after inspecting it for a moment, gave the frozen wave a couple of good whacks with his staff. It crumbled and fell back into the ocean.

"Ready to use what I taught you?" Mavrik shouted.

"No, but do I get a choice?"

Mavrik smiled at the reluctant reply. He felt an increase in the charge of the air behind him and threw a few rounds of Lightning Bolts out towards it. They collided with the flash of lightning headed for the mast Kurt was using to reach the crow's nest, re-routing it to the ocean where it sizzled and turned the water near it to steam, but was otherwise harmless.

"Impressive, I hate to admit!" Jeliel yelled, casting Fire Wall to deflect and vaporize a wave headed for Mavrik. "But not quite controlling the weather; that's just manipulating elements!"

"Give me some time; I'm running low on energy right now. This storm is too bad for me to be able to fend it off entirely!"

"So I'll cover you while you recharge and take care of what you can of it."

"Sounds fair to me!"

A Swordfish came flopping up onto the deck angrily, disturbed by the turbulent weather and plucked from its watery home by the ruthless waves. Jeliel moved to push it back into the water but it would have none of that, struggling and swishing its long, sharp nose every which way in a desperate attempt to fend off its attacker-slash-would-be saviour.

The ship tilted violently and it went sliding and skipping down the deck towards Mavrik, who had taken to steeling himself for the coming trials and tribulations of their endeavor. Rather than allow the fish-like monster to skewer any part of the other man, Jeliel frowned and cast a low-level Jupitel Thunder at it, hurling it off the side of the ship and grimacing when the force and power of the elemental attack scattered a few of its scales across the deck, along with a slight trail of blood.

Mavrik shot a thank you smile to the High Wizard and closed his eyes, his palms at the height of his abdomen and facing the sky. A small spark emitted from them as a bolt of lightning crashed through the dark clouds above. The spark grew in size and he held his hands up towards the sky, honing the bolt towards it and away from any of its other potential targets. As the power of the electrical bolt surged and merged with the spark of lightning at his hands he restrained a flinch, knowing the slightest movement outside of his controlled stance could either be fatal or spell disaster for other parts of the ship. Considering some of the cargo they were carrying, they couldn't afford the magnitude of that particular mistake.

"Do as I do!" Mavrik shouted calmly to Jeliel, who nodded and prepared a beginner's level Lightning Bolt of his own to draw away the next flashes.

Thunder rolled and echoed loudly across the ship as the two continued the pattern for a short time, Jeliel deflecting the occasional hail stone with a Fire Bolt to protect himself and Mavrik, while the taller male slowly re-energized his powers to better tackle the severity of the storm.

A wave crashed into the side of the ship as Mavrik went to draw the next bolt of lightning to himself, knocking him from his feet and sliding him down into the cabin wall with a mighty thump that forced the air out of his lungs and temporarily stunned him. The bolt collided with the mast atop which sat the crow's nest, snapping it almost in two with sparks of fire coming to life on the splitting points only to be put out by the torrential downpour of rain.

Thank God for small blessings, Jeliel thought bitterly to himself as he drew the next lightning bolt away, watching the mast sway ever more uneasily. Yards away from him, Mavrik was finally beginning to regain his senses. An outcry from above brought the two men's attention to the crow's nest to see what the commotion was about.

Kurt dangled from the edge, blown about slightly by the fearsome winds that lashed against everyone on and above the deck. He was held up from making the painful fall only by the hand, which was clasped firmly in a terrified Vladmir's grasp. The Stalker seemed to be muttering something to his sibling, and the Assassin Cross nodded. He tugged as hard as possible on the other man's hand, jerking him up a ways before pausing to catch his breath and pump his strength back into the next pull.

"Come down from there!" Mavrik shouted up at them, pointing to the mast. "That won't be standing much longer; you need to get down before-"

Too late; another flash of lightning came, and following it, another wave assaulted the side of the ship. The force turned the ship onto its side for a terrifying three seconds before rocking it upright again, and the mast snapped free of its hold.

Two shouts of surprise reached Mavrik and Jeliel's ears as Kurt and Vladmir plummeted to the deck. Kurt managed to grasp onto the rope to one of the sails, swinging wildly on it for a brief moment before it finally slowed down and he swung down onto the deck. He seemed shaken, but otherwise, unharmed.

His eyes turned frantically to the space behind him where he had hoped to find his brother, also safe and sound, but he felt his blood run cold. As his eyes finally caught sight of his twin, Vladmir's back collided with the deck in a sound so loud it almost drowned out the frightening roar of thunder. He never even had the chance to run and see that the man was even conscious before the mast landed across his middle and lower half.

Mavrik, Jeliel, and Kurt remained rooted to the spot for a few stunned, terrifying seconds before Kurt broke free of the terrible trance and rushed to his sibling's side, tears already welling in his eyes. Finally, the two High Wizards regained themselves and shouted out for their respective team's healers. Once Zira, Lady Lana, and Hughes were present, Mavrik called out to Torq and Felix, the ship's Champion from earlier.

The Champion and Mastersmith placed their arms around as much of the mast as they could and began to hoist it up off of their fallen comrade, but it was too heavy for just the two of them. Frustrated, Jeliel shouted for Shujiri and Alex. The two raced up to where they were needed and were taken aback by what they saw for a moment, but they quickly recovered and ran to help in the effort to remove the heavy object from the red-eyed Stalker's body.

Lana looked away, her stomach turned upside down at the thought of what she would see when it was finally pulled away, and Zira felt just short of wishing he'd chosen another profession. Hughes just looked outright sick. Torq, Alex, Shujiri, and Felix cringed as they tossed the mast the rest of the way off the ship. The healers would have their work cut out for them.

Pulling Kurt away, Mavrik passed the flailing, hysterical Assassin off to the two Mastersmiths, who bodily hauled him away from the scene to allow Zira and the others to do their work in peace. Shujiri and Felix stayed behind to help fend off whatever the storm would throw from their friends as best he could.

"What be goin' on down there 'mates?" Drake shouted from the helm, afraid to look towards his comrades and passengers after the crash of the crow's nest to see that the damage was as bad as he suspected it would be.

"It's Ghost!" Felix shouted back at the captain, keeping his back turned firmly towards the mangled Stalker. _Focus, focus, focus.._

From the cabin, Bennett watched the Champion's subtle struggle as did Shujiri, although the Assassin wasn't sure what the internal fight was about. The Gunslinger emerged, motioning for Amune to stay put in the safety of being indoors, and quickly turned to Felix. Locking eyes with the man, he said in a soft but firm voice, "Go back."

Felix seemed about ready to protest, but Bennett simply shook his head. "Too much blood."

Understanding, Felix ran off to the cabin and away from the others, allowing the gunman to take his place beside Shujiri in defending their friends. Shujiri shot him a curious look and Bennett said simply, "Reconnaissance raid. Bloody Lust. Permanent."

Having an uneasy feeling he knew what Bennett meant, Shujiri nodded and left it at that. He cast a glance at Zira and the others, flinched as his stomach did sickening somersaults, and turned back away from them. The image was just too terrible - even for him.

While the Priests focused on Vladmir, Mavrik and Jeliel turned back to the task at hand. He shouted to Jeliel, "Start using a controlled Fire Ball to draw the warmth out of the storm system; it should start to die out if we can draw enough out!"

As they set to work on the plan, Lana looked away from the man laying against the deck, unable to watch as they worked at Resurrecting and Healing him. There had been so much damage that it would be a miracle if they could do anything for him. At this point, even Ghebriel's alchemy might have had more luck at bringing the man back than they were; it was just too extensive for anything they had been trained to do. Regardless, they continued and redoubled their efforts, forcing more holy energy into the man and healing some of the major damages before setting to actually reviving him. It would do them no good to bring him back only to have him die again because his injuries were still in place.

Hughes seemed to be getting frustrated as he stared down silently at the motionless male beneath his hands. He'd warned them that he had a bad feeling about the weather, and that Mavrik had, too; the captain had been told about the suspicions and had insisted on continuing towards Alberta anyway. What had possessed the sea captain? Usually, he was much better about heeding their warnings of ill tidings; instincts were such an important, vital part of life away from land! Was their cargo really that important? Or was it because of the passengers..?

He chanced a look up at the two blondes kneeling across from him on the other side of Vladmir. They didn't seem all that special...A look to Shujiri and Jeliel also told him that they seemed more or less normal, just like everyone else. He'd gotten a few weird sensations about them, but nothing to be concerned about. What was it the captain had sensed that made all of this worth the trouble and risks they were being forced to take?

"_Fire Ball_!" Jeliel and Mavrik chorused, a small flicker of fire sheltered carefully within their hands. The air around them became marginally cooler, but then seemed to be almost reinforced by the storm itself - almost as if it had a mind and will of its own.

Jeliel sneered up at the sky before looking back at Mavrik, who seemed to be running low on energy again. He had been working against the storm for far longer than he had, and it was beginning to show. He wasn't sure how much longer the man could hold up..or how much longer he, himself, could.

Pausing from his task, Zira leaned back to center his energies again. He took a deep breath and faced the High Wizards, shouting rounds of Suffragium, Kyrie Eleison, Magnificat, and Gloria over them to aid in their protection and the regeneration of their powers, then went back to work on Vladmir.

Amune watched from the safety of the cabin as his crew mates and new acquaintances battled the elements and worked to support one another, feeling more or less useless besides casting the occasional Spirit over its respective class member. He would only be a hindrance if he went out and tried to help them bodily; he didn't have the strength or stamina for it, and he was perfectly aware of this.

A part of him worried for the safety of the room's occupants as they watched on, feeling helpless, but the greater portion of him was concerned for the ship's safety in this far less than friendly weather. If it went down, they were all pretty much doomed; with the two men that usually kept an eye out for danger incapacitated (albeit for different reasons,) that left the captain to his own devices. Perhaps he should go try to help in that aspect..?

The Soul Linker began to make his way to the captain but before he could even step out of the door, the fore sail snapped free from its ties and the mast arm it had been connected to swung by. It narrowly avoided colliding with him and instead, Amune watched in paralyzed fear as it collided full-on with the right side of Bennett's head, throwing the man over the port side of the ship as easily as if he were a feather-light rag doll.

"Bennett!" screeched the smaller male, gaining Felix's and Mana, the ship's one Professor's, attention.

While Mana used Lightning Loader to enchant the entire ship with a wind-electrical property to repel against further lightning damages to the structure, Felix wasted no time in running back onto the main deck and diving in after the unconscious Gunslinger. Amune looked on, panicked, as the Champion stayed under for quite a while before finally resurfacing with a desperate gasp for air. He still didn't have Bennett with him, however, and he went back under again. A few tries later, he made his way back over to the rudder and latched onto it, his energy draining quickly and his strength almost completely sapped from battling the waves as he had searched for his friend. He looked up to Amune and the Soul Linker shuddered at the shade of golden-red the normally frost-eyed man's eyes had become, but he was put a bit at ease when he saw that the man had a good, firm grip on Bennett and was signaling to drop a life saver ring down to them.

Torq quickly set to work at throwing it over and, once Bennett had been secured, pulled the Gunslinger up with no difficulty. Once he was laid out beside Amune for the Soul Linker to tend to while Lady Lana came to work on him, he threw it back over the side of the ship to Felix.

The ship gave an uneasy groan as it seemed to shudder and drop a few feet's worth of altitude, and Drake's stomach sank; he knew what that sound meant, and he was more than aware of what was coming. "Ev'rybody, hold on ta something!" he shouted over the force of the storm, earning the attention of everyone on the deck. "Yer about ta see a helluva wave, land lubbers!"

Drake gripped at the helm tightly, knuckles turning a pale white. Understanding what the captain meant, Mavrik and his friends quickly pressed the traveler closest to them against the railing of the ship. Torq and Alex held Bennett and Felix between themselves and the railing, while Amune remained latched tightly to Lady Lana and Bennett. If Felix or Bennett went overboard again, then in the shape they were currently in, they might not be able to be saved - much less save themselves.

Jeliel and Mavrik latched onto the rails as Shujiri, Zira, and Hughes quickly and carefully worked to secure Vladmir to themselves and then themselves to the ship as best as possible, while the others on board, having heard the warning floating through the door, exchanged worried looks and also clung to various, sturdy parts of the ship and one another. Even Tyr was placed snugly between Ghebriel and Jackel, while Sahari latched fearfully onto Dmitri. Ghebriel had already Rested Pharin in the event that things spiraled too far out of his control, not wanting to watch his feathered friend endure more suffering than necessary when he was aware he could easily recall him once the danger had passed.

Falcone stayed at the ready in front of them, casting a worried but determined look over his shoulder at everyone in the cabin. He couldn't be much use to anyone on the main deck, but in at least this small space, he would be able to use Land Protector to keep the ones in the cabin with him safe from what was about to happen. No matter what became of him, whether or not he could make it into the safe haven of the protected area, he didn't care so long as they were safe and sound. He refused to be forced to lose Ghebriel, and he was just as loathe at the idea of saying farewell to any of his other new friends so soon.

Mana hastily made his way back into the cabin and took his place beside Falcone, readying a blue and yellow gemstone as the redheaded Professor did the same. The white-haired man shot a look of warning over his shoulder to the others, silently willing them to stay still where they were. Both men knew they would have to time the casting of Land Protector perfectly in order to be able to ensure it lasted as long through the coming wave as possible. They wanted to be positive it would give their friends the biggest time frame out of harm's way as they were able to; casting it too early could see the spell's end before the danger had passed, while doing it too late negated the point of it to begin with.

Just as Captain Drake had feared, the waters seemed to suck themselves out from beneath the ship and recede as a tide is wont to do on the shores of the beach. His heart lurched as, all at once, it rushed back out at them, the wave gaining height and speed the closer it came. By the time it was about to reach the ship it was well over three hundred feet tall(1).

Seeing the wall of water approaching the ship, Falcone and Mana prepared the stones, focusing their energies into them and moving their hands as the stones began to glow slightly and float from their hands. Right as the wave crashed upon the unfortunate ship, they shouted out the spell's name in unison and the gems vanished and a bright flash lit up the room before the boards beneath their feet began to shimmer and glow, extending back from themselves to the men and women they hoped to protect.

Before anyone had much of a chance to react to the collusion of water and vessel, the force of the wave had already flipped the ship until its hull was on the surface, leaving its passengers underwater. Those above deck were crushed against whatever they clung to until the impact lessened, while the ones below were marginally luckier.

Having suspected the wave would topple the ship, Mana had cast his spell at the ceiling above them. Doing so had provided his friends with two safe spots - the one on the ground, and the one that would become the ground.

Shaken but otherwise fine, Falcone stood back to his feet. He glanced to the port holes to see that they were holding up then looked back to his companions to take stock of their condition. His primary concern was to locate Ghebriel amid the mass of disoriented sailors and travelers. When Jackel surfaced, he heaved off a few Thieves and Merchants, revealing Tyr and Ghebriel, whose falls were somewhat softened by the Gunslinger and other crewmen. Ghebriel, Tyr, and Jackel, check.

Dmitri wasn't long to pop up after them, with a trembling Sahari at his side. They seemed to be startled by the sudden rearrangement of their surroundings, but were unharmed. Check and check. So that left...

Falcone froze upon remembering where the rest of his teammates had been. He and Mana exchanged an alarmed look and raced to the port holes to peer outside.

Sure enough, the majority of those who had been on the main deck were either making their way back to the surface or trying to swim up with a stunned or unconscious form in one arm.

"Damn!" Mana hissed, spotting the captain and Torq a small distance from the window. The white-haired man turned away from the window, frowning.

"We need to go get them!" Ghebriel spoke up, tugging Falcone's sleeve.

"You're right." admitted the bespectacled Professor, turning from the window as well. "But you stay here; if another wave flips the ship back up, you should all be safe in here; above, you might get knocked-"

Falcone didn't get the opportunity to finish his sentence. A loud cracking sound reverberated through the cabin just moments before the fallen mast from earlier crashed through the floor-turned-ceiling, breaking it in half and severely damaging the boards barely five feet from the protected areas. It had been thrown onto the hull by the waves.

Water came rushing in from the gaping hole, quickly filling the room but for the Land Protector spots.

Falcone and Mana exchanged another look and smiled. So it worked against the elements after all...

The two Professors cast a fresh couple of Land Protectors ahead of them and stepped forward as the water recoiled from it. Mana turned to motion to the others. "Follow us and keep close." he advised, expression serious.

Outside, Torq reached the surface, the captain at his side. He looked around to find the others, but the only ones he saw were Kurt and the weak, but alive, Vladmir, Lady Lana, Amune, Bennett, and Alex. He cursed his luck and deposited the captain on a nearby piece of driftwood from the ship's wreckage. Once he was sure the man was safe, he took in a deep breath and plunged into the water again.

It wasn't long before he spotted Shujiri, who was on his way back to the surface with an unconscious Zira tucked safely in one arm. Not far behind him was Felix, who had gone back under to find - and was retrieving - Hughes, who he knew couldn't swim. That left the only ones not accounted for to be Mavrik and Jeliel, then.

Shujiri resurfaced near the ship, taking in a big gulp of air as he passed Zira off to Lana. Seeing that Jeliel was nowhere in sight, he took in another breath of air and went under again. The blue Assassin looked around for a few moments until he saw Mavrik being pulled up by the other man. Relieved, he went back to the surface to head for the ship. He had to see if the others were okay, and judging by the hole in the hull, there was no telling for sure.

Once he'd plopped Mavrik beside the captain and Torq, Jeliel took stock of everyone's condition. He, himself, was exhausted and sore from fighting the waves and elements. His leg had a fairly sizable gash across it, and the arm he'd pulled Mavrik up with felt like it was on fire - either broken or severely sprained, if not tugged out of its socket.

Closest to him, Torq seemed a little worse for the wear but by and in large, he was okay. His endurance and strength levels had served him well so far.

Mavrik and Captain Drake both had a bit of blood coming from large cuts and scrapes littering their bodies, but only Drake seemed to be fighting a losing battle with unconsciousness. Mavrik seemed to be struggling a bit to stay awake and help out further, too, but the strain he'd already placed on his body before he'd been injured made it impossible for him to be of further use.

Amune was watching over Bennett as Alex supported Hughes to keep him above the water while the Priest tended to the Gunslinger's concussion. Other than Bennett's initial injury, severe though it was, none of them seemed to be in bad shape. Alex's main injuries, dealt to his chest and abdomen, had already been healed for the most part; what remained would still require a few bandages later in order to preserve the two conscious healers' energy as much as possible to help the others.

Felix, though he was conscious, was being supported by Lana. They, too, were in decent shape, with Felix merely spent from using his energy to help the others. The only visible injury he seemed to have obtained was a black eye. He wanted to help Heal the others, since he had learned the basics of it from the mentors he'd studied under at the abbey before leaving to sail with Captain Drake and the others, but his body was just too spent to allow for it.

Shujiri was clearly as good as ever, having swam off against the waves to try and get to the rest of their friends on the ship. Perhaps the only thing wrong with him was the cut below his eye and the gash across his back, but neither of those things were bad enough to merit immediate attention or to slow him down.

Kurt was busy making sure Vladmir stayed pressed between himself and the plank of wood they were using to stay adrift, eyes carefully hidden from the bright flashes of lightning that still lit up the sky as brightly as if it were daylight at random intervals. The Assassin Cross was ignoring the deep cut over his left eye and the pain in his leg that told him it had been fractured in several places in favour of keeping his slightly older sibling as warm and safe as possible at the moment.

Then, finally, there was Zira. The blonde Priest was being held safely by Alex now that Hughes had settled atop the driftwood to continue his work on Bennett. This left Lana to begin working on the white-winged High Priest's injuries. Though he didn't weigh much, Zira's inability to swim and smaller form made him more vulnerable in circumstances like this. Luckily, too much water taken in seemed to be the only real problem at hand - and it was quickly being taken care of by the dutiful Priestess. Second to that was a bit of head trauma, and although that could also be fixed, he would probably be out for a while; the same could be said of Bennett.

Jeliel shuddered in the howling winds as they lowered their body temperature further because of their saturated clothing. With Mavrik out of commission at the moment, he was the only one left able to fend off most of the elements from the already troubled sea-goers.

He debated for a moment on how to go about this seemingly impossible task until his attention was drawn to the remains of the ship. Another bolt of lightning struck and ignited it even through the terrible force of the rains, and it creaked noisily as another wave crashed in on it, forcing it underwater entirely - and this time, it didn't resurface. It had simply endured too much damage to be salvaged. As it went down, the force of the ocean against its weakened frame splintered off even more pieces; the event went so quickly that it seemed to almost have exploded..and maybe it had. He just wasn't sure why, much less how; the rain and the ocean's cruel waves should have doused the flame quickly.

Everyone held their breath as they waited anxiously for a sign of life to emerge from the spot the wreckage had been; most of the crew had still been on-board, as well as a few of Zira and Shujiri's party members.

They waited for what felt like an eternity until Shujiri, Falcone, and Dmitri finally came up from where the ship had previously been. Held securely in each one's arms were Tyr and Jackel, Ghebriel, and Sahari, respectively. As Falcone fussed frantically over the Biochemist, Ghebriel was busying himself with tearing off a small segment of his cape and wrapping it about his forehead and left eye, while Tyr whimpered at his hind legs; one was cracked, and the other was almost completely crushed. Jackel and Shujiri each had a piece of shrapnel protruding from their arm or leg, and Sahari and Dmitri had more than a few cuts covering them.

Shujiri pulled out the piece in his leg with a bit more care and finesse than Jackel did to the one in his shoulder, then looked around at everyone.

"We have to go down again." Falcone shouted to him, frowning. He cast a couple of rounds of Cold Bolt onto Tyr's injured legs and they froze over, meshing with the ice naturally on his body to mend him fully.

"They'll all die if we don't!" Ghebriel put in. "If we do, we can at least probably save a few. Although the likelihood of that through the explosion-"

Drake's voice, faint but commanding and sure, reached their ears at this. His tone was sad, almost defeated. "There be nothin' ye can do fer 'em now, lads...Goin' down ta get 'em would just be suicide now..."

"How are you so sure?" Dmitri inquired, frown deepening.

"I know what it was what just happened, boy...Th' lightnin' struck me ship's munitions stock..it went off. Th' lot'a ye be lucky ye got out alive as it be. Th' ones what didn't get out 'fore she blew're in Davey Jones's locker now, they won't be seein' th' light o' day e'er again..."

Falcone's brows furrowed at this, but he was interrupted by Shujiri.

"Then," Shujiri took a breath and said, "We need to focus on our survival right now. We're too far from land to swim, and we can't go for long against this storm as it is."

Dmitri nodded in agreement. "Everybody's already pretty washed out as it is."

"So we need to just hang tight until it's over and someone rescues us. Even if it broke right now, there's too many of us for the few that have wings to take to land and come back for. Best bet's to just have yourselves mended by Hughes, Lady Lana, or Zi- uh, or Lady Lana. But no more than necessary - they need their strength, too. Jeliel, ye got any juice left?"

"Not much." the High Wizard confessed bitterly. "And what all I can still do is useless right now. I can't use fire elements to draw out the heat from the storm when I don't have a dry spot on me to keep the flame protected and insulated with, and the cold spells I've got will only add to the cold around us instead of weakening it. All we're left with is pretty much fending off lightning!"

Jeliel frowned at the others as Shujiri sighed and began to explain a new suggestion to them. _That's not entirely right, although the basics are there._ said a voice in the back of his mind. He blinked, mildly surprised at himself for such a thought. _The theory of drawing out the warm air from the storm was a good one, but come to think of it now, it wasn't a logically sound one. If this storm is powered by the warm air colliding with the cold front primarily, it may have worked. But that wasn't the case; the storm only seemed to get stronger when we tried to sap its energy that way. If there's more cold air fueling it than hot, all it would have accomplished is that we would have frozen faster than we are now; in that case, hello, hypothermia._

The waves continued to furiously batter the survivors, making them strain to stay afloat. Some had succumbed to unconsciousness from the stress on their bodies of their injuries although they had already been healed while others clung to consciousness - and one another - desperately. Even with all Hughes and Lana had done to help them and the efforts of Torq and Kurt, Captain Drake and Vladmir still seemed to be fading.

As he took in these details, Jeliel's frustration at their circumstances grew a little more every minute. He turned his face to the sky, glaring at the latest flash of lightning and clap of thunder but thankful that, if nothing else, at least it wasn't still hailing on top of everything else.

_Thinking basically, it's just another storm - bad though it is. The mentors in Yuno taught how to create and control our own storms, but none of them were ever as bad as this one is. Just think about it; it could work!_

Another part of his mind was telling him something else, however. He wasn't sure what had made him think of it, but he knew it was risky. _If it backfires..._

Spotting the biggest piece of what remained of the ship, Jeliel swam to it and latched on, pulling himself to his feet uneasily. There were several outcries for his safety, and a couple for his sanity, from the others.

Shujiri started to let go of the driftwood he, Jackel, and Tyr had claimed in favour of going over to the other man, but Mavrik held his arm out to stop him. He was about to argue, but he caught the look of mixed curiosity and distant realization in his serious eyes and instead turned back to watch what happened.

Jeliel lifted his arm from his side, and as he did, several balls of water rose from the ocean below him.

"Water Ball?" Mavrik whispered, confused. What was he going to do with that? And why wasn't he having to speak the name of the spell for its vein of magic to realize it was being called upon? That was one of the basic requirements for all types of spells! Even Priests and Snipers had to use it in some situations!

The teal-haired man moved his arm to cross in front of his chest, and as he did, the balls of water thinned out and became larger and more translucent. When his arm extended over his head, they spun out slowly to the men and women floating in the water. They expanded in size one final time as they came into contact with them, pulling them in and then shrinking around them just enough to comfortably accommodate each person. Once they had been taken in, he summoned a Water Ball for himself and calmly allowed it to 'ingest' him.

Now everyone was truly perplexed. This spell was usually one used to fight, but they were unharmed. More surprisingly still, they could breathe through them!

Their temporary relief was dampened when they saw a large wave headed for them. They might not make it through a second tsunami-like wave! However, before anyone even had the time to panic, it had crashed over them..and they were still perfectly fine. Rather than being crushed by the massive wave, the water seemed to simply sway around their confined area. From inside, it appeared more like a gentle rippling stream than it did the deadly wall of ocean water it really was.

Shujiri and his friends were speechless. None of them had known the man was capable of this; they'd never really seen him put his powers to use at such a grand scale before. One look to Mavrik, however, showed Shujiri that at least he no longer seemed so surprised by it. On the contrary, he was smiling up at the other Wizard. He looked almost as if he were seeing something he'd witnessed once before...The words from his lips puzzled him slightly as well.

"The student surpasses the teacher.." _But..was I ever greater than you to begin with, I wonder? I don't think it's possible. You never fail to astound me, old friend..._

Appearing to have heard these words, Jeliel's gaze turned to him from the corner of his eyes. Other than this, he didn't acknowledge the man further; instead, he turned his attention to the skies again.

Jeliel adjusted his top hat before raising his arms up once again, stretching them out about three feet apart at the height of his face. The winds blew his cloak back, fluttering it violently as they picked up speed.

"Whut in tarnation's that crazy idgit doin'?" Jackel asked softly, nudging Shujiri. As he watched the display, the waves around them intensified and the rain began to fall so hard and heavily that it was hard to see anything.

"It almost looks like he's about to cast Thunder Storm." Lana commented, brows furrowed and head tilted. Wasn't the weather already bad enough without him doing something to make it worse on them?

As if to prove the woman right, Jeliel focused his power into his palms and turned them upward towards the sky, shouting, "Follow at my commands; enough is enough! _Thunder Storm_!"

If it were possible, the skies grew even more threatening and the rain fell hard enough that it blocked out the line of vision from everyone except those who were used to dealing with darker conditions. Shujiri, Dmitri, Sahari, Vladmir, and Kurt watched on in awe as the waves became more restless, throwing the larger portions of the wreckage as far back as to Izlude in its ruthless motions. Just as before, it was hailing again, now, and through it all, the roar of both storms combined boomed overhead so loudly that Jeliel's next words were drowned out.

The clouds overhead seemed to push and pull at one another for a few moments before a small, barely noticeable glimmer of light broke on the horizon. It flickered, then disappeared. Slowly, the hail and rain began to ease until they had completely stopped. Even the winds gave a last whispering hum before growing calm, and the ocean's fury was quelled with it. Then, for the first time since leaving Izlude, the clouds broke and vanished.

Silence filled the air amid them as everyone's eyes fell on Jeliel, shock and awe and confusion forming an almost tangible layer of emotions around them.

"How did-?"Sahari began, her words dying before she could fully form her question.

"The storm.." Mavrik began, still smiling a bit. "The storm has the same elements we command, but it combines them. On normal occasions, I can manipulate them one at a time and negate it. But with this one, there was too much more behind it for me to cancel it out. But by using Thunder Storm,..."

Ghebriel's visible eye widened at this, understanding sinking in. "He put a storm he could control into the one he couldn't to let them combine. The whole system became one big magic spell he was able to manipulate and, ultimately, stop!"

Turning towards the High Wizard as their protective Water Ball bubbles lowered them gently back onto their planks, Shujiri was poised to ask him and Mavrik if they had known each other in a past life and where he had come up with the idea that, had it failed, could have potentially killed them all. His queries were forgotten, however, when Jeliel's Water Ball popped and, rather than being deposited on the nearby driftwood, he plummeted into the water, motionless and without a sound.

Alarmed, Alex ducked into the water and swam down after him, re-emerging only when he had the High Wizard in his arms. "He's out cold." he explained after a moment of examining the man. "He seems fine - just drained."

"I'm surprised ya aren't out, too." Torq said as he looked to Mavrik.

"No such luck for you, I'm afraid." Mavrik replied coolly, mock glaring at the Mastersmith.

"I guess you're gonna have to find another ship, eh, cap'?"

Silence was the only answer Torq received, and he turned to face Mavrik and Drake, concerned. His words were halted in his throat as he saw the captain slumped motionlessly over the plank they were clinging to. A lump of dreadful suspicion settled within him as he reached over and gently nudged the slightly taller man, trying again. "Cap'?"

Afraid they knew what had happened as well, Hughes and Lana exchanged a glance and motioned to the captain, casting a couple of rounds of Heal apiece. The holy energy at their fingertips didn't lessen, however, signaling that it hadn't been spent. The spell was useless; the man was gone.

Amune gasped and covered his mouth with one hand, tears springing up. He turned his shaky gaze to Hughes, his other hand resting on Bennett's arm as if to unconsciously solidify that at least his best friend was still safe and with them. "Is there anything that can be done? Anything? Resurrection? Or maybe..."

The other suggestion remained unspoken, but it lingered in the air that had become thick with tension and worry. The Soul Linker didn't want anything to happen to his remaining companions, but he had no idea how some of the things Priests did worked; there was no way for him to realize what kind of sacrifice was required for that to happen.

Gazing around at everyone, Hughes sucked in a breath and looked back to the lifeless form of their captain again. _Nothing else to lose, that's for damn sure.._ he thought bitterly, one hand coming to rest on the edge of the plank he was leaning against. He used it to gently push himself off towards the one on which Drake's body, Mavrik, and Torq rested and latched onto it. Once he was close enough, his hand settled on his shoulder and he frowned. _I'm damn sure not about to go crawling back to those fucking bastards, and if this doesn't work,..._

Shujiri looked to Lana, whose face had turned pale. They seemed to be thinking along the same lines of what might be going through the foul-mouthed High Priest's mind. Before either one could voice their concern, however, the brunette Priest spoke out.

"_Redemptio_!"

Seconds passed. A minute. Several minutes. Nothing happened.

Hughes's frown deepened. It hadn't worked, which meant he was too late. None of his deceased comrades could be revived - not even the captain. Too much time had passed between the time of their death and the attempt at bringing them back. Maybe if someone had noticed it earlier, something could have been done; as it stood, further efforts would only waste time and energy.

Silence filled the air now, out of respect for the lives lost to the terrible tempest that had ravaged the ship and its passengers and concern for what would happen next. Would they still die out here? Would anyone think to look for them, or would they be found accidentally by a passing ship on its way to or from Alberta? With such a powerful storm raging for so long, there was no telling how much damage had been done to ships that had already set out ahead of theirs - or to the ones docked as it went on. They could be stuck for days, maybe even weeks, and that was assuming they lasted that long.

"What do we do now?" Sahari asked after a few more minutes of silence had passed by uneventfully, now more clinging to Dmitri than the piece of wood she rested against. "Are we going to be stuck out here?" Her eyes began to fill with tears slowly as the situation fully sunk in on everyone for the first time. There was a real possibility that, even though they had survived the monstrous storm, they could still very well die there.

Dmitri gently shushed her, smoothing back a few strands of her hair from her face. Jackel reached over to her with his good arm, stroking her back reassuringly.

Falcone looked down to Ghebriel as he held the man against him protectively, growing more concerned as he noted the blood stain on the 'Chemist's cloak that served as a makeshift wrap around his eye. He wasn't sure how bad the damage was, or what precisely had happened, but it worried him. He was paler than usual, likely attributed to the blood lost to the injuries he'd sustained and from exhaustion caused by the night's dramatic occurrences, and the two Priests that remained conscious as well as the Champion who could also have otherwise provided assistance were borderline passing out. The whole tragic mess had been draining on everyone - physically and emotionally.

After a time, Tyr's ears perked up and he turned his snout towards the direction of Izlude. He seemed to hear something, although no one could see anything yet.

"What's up?" Shujiri asked, looking down at the icy pup. "Ye hear something?"

Tyr looked to him, silently communicating an affirmative.

Felix looked up from the water he'd been staring at, weary eyes curious. "What's that?" he asked shortly.

"Something's comin' this way." Shujiri replied, blinking. _So soon?_

Sure enough, a few minutes longer of waiting and a ship came into view. It wasn't as grand or impressive in appearance as _The Black Dragon_ had been, certainly, but it meant salvation was well on its way. It could have been the most disgusting, cramped vessel in existence, and at this point, they still would have been grateful to see it.

"D'you think they'll see us?" Amune questioned hopefully.

"I'd bet they came out looking for us." Hughes quietly replied.

"How would they have known we were even out here, though?" Falcone asked uncertainly.

A familiar voice calling to them from the distance earned their attention, and as they turned their faces towards the approaching ship, a young man was waving down at them excitedly. He turned for a moment, calling over to the crew of the ship, "Over here! I see them; they're over here!" then moved back to face them again.

"The guide from the dock!" Alex exclaimed. "How did-?"

Once the ship had stopped in front of them, the man replied down to them, "I came back to get my books from the shop near the docks just in time to see you all head off on that pirate ship; when the weather took a turn for the worse, I figured you wouldn't have had time to make it to Alberta yet and told Captain Morigan's brother, Captain Morrison of _The Sea's Angel_, you were probably out here in it. It was too dangerous to go out looking at the time, though, so as soon as the weather broke, we set out to find you!"

It was a short process between the point of _The Sea's Angel_'s crew carefully bringing up the survivors to the ship and getting them to the mending quarters for medical attention, but for everyone involved, it was an unspoken agreement that it wasn't short enough. After the night's tiring events, everyone was spent and wanted nothing more than to rest and forget what had happened.

Life is never as simple and pleasant as that, though; the rest of the trip to Alberta was spent by the travelers and the ex-crew of _The Black Dragon_ in silence, reflecting back on what and who had been lost and how lucky they were to have survived.**  
To Be Continued..**


	30. The Raging Tempest OMAKE

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **[chokes on soda] Sancta Virgo Maria, that chapter was twelve pages long! And my God was it ever depressing in the end...Well, at least this chapter isn't quite as sad as the last one turned out to be. Then again, it's another omake chapter, so I'd hope it wouldn't be. Seeing as how it's not an actual chapter, albeit what happens in it is relatively important regardless, I'm not going to give this one a theme; we'll save that for a real chapter, since I hate trying to figure out which ones to use. xD Try to figure out who the people in this one are.**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**The Raging Tempest** **OMAKE  
**Izlude was buzzing with the news of what had happened during the night half-way between its shores and Alberta. Never had it seen a shipwreck with such a high count of fatalities; the storm from the previous night had been of a record-breaking magnitude in terms of severity.

With half of the day having been spent readying empty-casket funeral arrangements for the crew members of the pirate ship that had had families and friends (hey, they were still human, after all), all that was left was to decide if it would better honour the kind pirate captain's memory to retrieve his body from the ocean where it had sank during the rescue mission or to leave it there and throw a wreath of flowers over that spot to commemorate him. For the most part, the town's people seemed to be split evenly on the matter; no headway was made by the time dusk had arrived, and so a town meeting would be necessary the next day to make the final call on what to do about it.

However, rumours were swirling around the town of how extraordinary the crew of the ruined pirate ship had been - and just how many of them might have survived it. Not only that, but word was spreading fast that they had taken on passengers despite their usual opinion of land-based travelers. Something about them had convinced the captain to let them sail with him to Alberta, but no one could figure out why.

Alongside those rumours were a few involving the travelers, themselves. A High Priest with a scythe of all things? And an Assassin Cross that seemed to know far more than someone of his age ever should. It was suspicious how the red-eyed Scholar wouldn't let the smaller Creator out of his sight. Was that one of Garm's pups they had with them? But the piece-de-resistance, by far, was about the High Wizard traveling with them. Had he really had a hand in the end of the storm? Weren't there certain similarities between the features of he and his friends to the legend the people of the town had grown up hearing about the saviors of Rune Midgard?

It was just such rumours that had fueled the sudden resurgence of interest in combating the evil forces stirring at the bottom of the ocean near Izlude in the caverns and on the sea floor. Monsters were becoming so bold they weren't afraid to attack passing ships anymore; if one wasn't armed as they made the trip from Izlude to Alberta, they faced the risk that the crew might be endangered by the creatures from below. Fish-like monsters and even Mermen were rumoured to be causing problems, and with tales of bravery such as those unknown travelers and the members of the pirate crew that had survived to give them courage and hope, the people were beginning to rouse from their sleepy ways and fight back!

"The wave had to have been eight hundred feet tall!" exclaimed one of the sailors that had seen the gargantuan wall of water from the window of his house as it rose from the sea. "To think anybody could have survived that, it's lunacy! But they did!"

"I 'eard the lot took on five mermen!" another put in.

"Bah!" said a third. "Yer all loony! They can't die when they got the Grim Reaper on their side! Got the scythe and everything, he had!"

"Grim Reaper, huh? Yer daft! What kind of Grim Reaper worth 'is bones gets 'imself clonked out then? Now them Assassins with 'em, that's another story altagether!"

The second spoke up again. "Er that 'Smith and Stalker! Bet the one took all them monsters on with 'is bare hands while the other got 'em from behind!"

A fifth spoke up at this. "Daft, the lot'a ye!" he exclaimed. "That Wizard ain't nothin' to trifle with either! I heard 'e stopped that storm all by 'imself!"

"That's preposterous! What human 'ave ye 'eard of what can do that?"

"There's that legend, there is; the one about that one man!"

Someone cleared their throat and the men turned their attention towards the shadowed end of the bar. Once the person had their attention, he smiled to himself and stood. Beside him, another large male stood up as well, and the two advanced forward slightly - just enough to reach the sailors at their side of the table, but not enough to fully step out of the shadows.

"Ye wanted somethin' lad?" asked the first sailor, one bushy, white brow quirking.

"I hate to interrupt you boys.." the stranger began, one hand on the table and the other over his heart, his voice smooth and rather sultry. The man at his side chuckled quietly, but remained silent. Continuing, the shorter of the two leaned forward slightly, an eerie smile on his lips as the cross around his neck jingled with each movement he made. "But I couldn't help but overhear that there was a shipwreck during last night's storm...I was wondering if perhaps you could tell me the area it happened in. After all," He flicked a lock of silky red hair over his shoulder and the man with him reached out for it, running it between his gloved fingers gently. "You _do_ need a Priest to speak at the sight to send them off to their next calling..."  
**To Be Continued..**


	31. We're Off! Again

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **I had to type this chapter up twice. TWICE, do you hear me? F'cking fanfiction dot net...[grumble] ANYWAY! 0.0 I didn't even see one of the scenes that happens in this chapter coming and I'm the one that wrote it! It just sorta happened. I guess I wanted something to bury myself into since Fabriel is supposed to be a bit of a mystery for a while in some aspects and there's bad mojo behind Shujana offline at the moment. Anyhow, there's no real theme for this one so we'll use Theme of Alberta. Hey, when all else fails, go with the town. Right? Also, a final note for this one; I couldn't think of a good reason that they wouldn't be completely healed by a team of Priests and healers besides that I just wanted them to resemble the way they look on Delusion at the moment with their shiny new equips. Please go with it.**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: We're Off! (...Again)**  
"There you go, sonny; you're good as new." The tall Priest patted Ghebriel on the shoulder with a smile. When the 'Chemist yelped and recoiled, he smiled apologetically and said, "Well, as new as a book that's been read a few times."

"But that isn't new, then. So-"

Falcone's hand took his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I think you may be over-thinking things, 'Brie." He turned to the Priest, a frown on his face. "Might I ask you something?"

"Certainly," the man replied. "What's the matter?"

"How are the others fairing? Why can't we see them yet?"

"I was wondering when just such a question would arise from one of you."

"Then perhaps you'll have an answer?"

"Indeed, I do. I'm afraid some of them are in better shape than others. The female Assassin Cross and the green-haired Stalker, as well as the Priestess, are practically unharmed. Others are mildly injured and are being treated as we speak, such as the blue Assassin Cross and the blonde Gunslinger."

"I expected no less of them." Falcone said, his smile warm and almost teasing. "What of the rest?"

"The black-haired Gunslinger has a concussion, and we haven't currently been very successful in rousing him yet. The other Stalker..well, I won't sugar coat it - it's a miracle he's even alive. Although, I get the feeling that, at least for a short while, he wasn't that lucky. Your other two friends - the blonde Priest and the pale Wizard - are in a bit more curious of a situation."

"Why is that?" Ghebriel inquired, stepping off the bed and immediately being ushered back up onto it when his balance failed.

"They've both been out cold since your rescuers brought you here, but aside from a few fractures and breaks on the Wizard and some minor sprains and bruises on the smaller of the two, both of which are being fully treated as we speak, nothing seems to be wrong with them. Really, they should have been up by now."

"Maybe Jeliel's still not quite recovered his strength from the storm." Falcone reasoned, nudging Ghebriel's hand away from the medical eye patch covering his left eye and taking it in his own. "Zira hasn't really been sleeping well recently so combined with the exertion of the storm and services rendered when Vladmir was first injured, he might be in the same position as Jeliel at the moment."

"Perhaps. The Priest-"

"Zira."

"Right; Zira- keeps murmuring something about Mister Ghebriel, here. Nothing more than a dream, I suppose. We're going to give the two a couple more hours before we start looking into things further to find out why they haven't woken up yet. In the meantime, you can all get a bit more rest here as well."

"If it's alright by you, I would like to see Shujiri for a moment."

"Your Assassin friend? Very well; he should be patched up by now."

Falcone turned to the 'Chemist on the bed and cupped his cheek gently, sighing to himself when the smaller man had to force himself not to lower his eyes or flinch away for what felt like the hundredth time. "I'll be back shortly, then, Ghebriel; stay here and rest a bit while I'm gone. It's been a very long couple of days. If you decide you would like some company while I'm away, revive Pharin. If he troubles you too much or you get tired, Rest him again and get some sle-"

"I know, I know." sighed Ghebriel. "Go on and see what we do from here, I won't be going anywhere for a while, anyway. Not alone, at least; I can't see well enough with the one eye being unusable right now. I haven't exactly adjusted to it yet."

Smiling, Falcone leaned down and pecked the Creator on the lips and followed the healer out to the next room.

"Y'ain't gotta worry 'bout them bumps 'n' bruises, ladies! Ain't no cut gonna lay out ole Jackel!" was the first thing he heard upon opening the door.

Three nurses stood around the gunman, each fawning over the unusual, crass accent, the horns on his head, or his now-more-minor-than-anything injuries. The 'Slinger, himself, seemed to be eating up the attention. His naturally rough-and-tumble, outgoing personality drew them to him and they had quickly forgotten that one of them had been meant to finish patching up Shujiri. The Assassin Cross was seated on the edge of the other bed, more amused by the situation than anything else. Both seemed to be in rather high spirits despite what everyone had been through in the last several hours; even Tyr was curled up beside the two men, dozing off peacefully.

"If it ain't Falcone!" the rambunctious Gunslinger exclaimed, lifting his arm to hail the Scholar. A shooting pain coursed through it originating at the area he'd removed the scrap from earlier and he quickly lowered it again, hissing in aggravation. "Hel far, that smarts!"

One of the girls giggled and placed a hand on his injured shoulder, pressing healing energies into it. "You need to give the green herb time to finish off its job before you move around too much; both of you do. There's no telling where that poison that got at either of you came from or how it even was so powerful, or why it even affected an Assassin Cross in the first place, but it's slowing down the healing process and you're both still too drained from that horrible wreck for Detoxify to work on you 100 percent."

"Mighty fine advice; could'a done with knowin' it b'fore, hon'."

Another giggle, and the girl turned to Shujiri to check on his leg again.

Shujiri finally spoke, looking across at the Professor. "Glad ye aren't hurt too badly; how's Gheb?"

Falcone grimaced but walked in a bit further, allowing the lead healer to go back and finish his work on the Creator. "Fine, on the whole; he's resting as we speak. I can see that you two are alright as well."

"Aye."

"Ah, ladies? Might the three of us have a moment alone? There's a very important matter we need to discuss."

The girls looked at one another and smiled. With an exchanged giggle and a wave over their shoulders at Jackel, they left.

Once he was certain no one was listening in and the three had gone, Falcone took a seat kneeling before Shujiri and Jackel. "I did want to see how everyone was fairing, yes, but I'm afraid I didn't come back here for only that reason. It's about the ship. Or, more precisely, why it blew up like it did."

"Whatcha got on yer mind, pardner?" Jackel asked, leaning forward a bit.

"On our way to the surface, Mana and I were guiding the others out with Land Protector as you can attest, Jackel. Yes, apparently it works underwater as well. Some of the rooms were blocked off. Mana went ahead a bit and cast Fire Ball on one of them to melt it open - I would have liked to ask how he could make such a simple spell so hot and powerful, but given the circumstances,.. - anyway, he stepped a little too far out of the spell's protective area and the flame from his spell touched something that must have been very combustible. Everyone not standing in the safe zone I'd set up was left open to the blast. There could have been a few survivors, but by the time everyone we know was up safely already, it was too late to go back for them I suppose. Flying debris caused most of the damage we had on us, not the rest of the night's events. It begs the question that, if Mana and the others were part of the crew, why didn't they know what was behind that door and, if they did, why he did what he did, anyway."

"Yer right; it don't make no sense, but the cap'n said it blew up 'cause-"

"I've heard what he said about it, and I'm afraid he was mistaken. Mana cast Lightning Loader on the ship before it ever happened; it had the same effect as Vladmir and Kurt's use of Cloaking did on it. That bolt of lightning wouldn't have been able to cause any damage to the structure, and therefore, couldn't have caused the explosion - even if it _had_ struck close to any of the ammunition supply aboard. Truth be told, I don't think they knew what was in there. Why would the late captain not keep his men informed about that?"

Silence filled the air between the three for a moment as Falcone allowed this information to sink in.

"We've already discovered that our new friends are - or, were, at least - pirates. There's no way that a typical munitions stock aboard any ship, not even a pirate ship, would cause that caliber of an explosion when ignited. You saw how large that ship was. For it to be blown apart so drastically, something had to have been stored in that room that could be used for explosives. And for there to have been so much aboard, and for him to want to keep going when he had been warned against it by Mavrik already, he must have had something in mind for them that was a little less than on the caring humanitarian side. I just don't know why he chose to take us with them with such risks being presented by taking on complete strangers."

Once again, silence settled between the three men as Shujiri and Jackel took in this information. It made sense, but the Scholar raised a good point. Why _would_ he do all that?

At length, Jackel sighed and leaned back again. "Reckon we oughta tell them boys 'bout all 'at?"

Shujiri shook his head. "They've been through more than enough already, and there's nothing to be done for it now, anyway. We don't exactly have evidence to show them, either. It's best to just let them think their captain died as a good-"

"NO! PLEASE, STOP!"

Falcone, Shujiri, and Jackel jumped at the sudden screaming from a few doors down. Exchanging a look of fright, they leaped up and joined the small flood of healers and a few other patients in the race towards it to see what was happening.

"Sounds like Zira." Falcone noted, frowning. "But what is he so-?"

Shujiri shook his head. "My guess is another dream."

Jackel snorted as they pushed through the crowd of people blocking the door. "Don't sound like no dream t' me, pardner; more like a nightmare!" he shoved past a few onlookers using the bulk of his muscle mass to clear a path for himself and the two behind him, but when he made it to the edge of the door frame he was forced to stop and plant his hands over his ears as Zira screamed again. "Dern!" he shouted back to Shujiri and Falcone. "Pup's got a set'a lungs on 'im!"

Shujiri shoved past the gunman and made his way to the bedside, shooting an apologetic smile to the terrified healers trying to hold down the blonde. "Let go; we've got 'im!" he shouted to them, nodding to Falcone and Jackel to come and take the Priest by the wrists to assist him. Once they were in place, the healers holding onto Zira let go and backed away, one of them clutching the scythe they had managed to pry away from him.

"Whut now?" Jackel shouted.

"I think waking him up might be a novel place to begin." Falcone suggested, blinking and going cross-eyed for a moment when their squirming friend's arm knocked his glasses askew.

"This ain't no time fer book-readin', but that ain't a half bad idea there, Falco'! Give 'im a good whack; that oughta do it!"

Shujiri shook his head, moving to hold the Priest down with his weight as he pressed his hands over theirs to prevent acting upon the suggestion. "You won't want to do that right now, trust me."

"Why not?"

Falcone's red eyes trained themselves on the Priest and grew a bit wider. "Priest Spirit?" he asked, looking to the healers for a moment when he noticed the faint glow surrounding the man.

An older woman nodded. "One of our interns, a Soul Linker, used it on him to try and speed up his recovery; he'd been out and unresponsive for a while, so she thought it might help..."

"So far," Shujiri began to explain, "He's just been threatened by the dream; no one's really done anything to register as an attack on him from the real world besides holding him down. If you do something to change that, he'll probably blast someone into oblivion with Holy light. That's exactly counter-productive to our mission. Just talk to-"

Before Shujiri could finish, Zira gave a mighty push at his restrainers and Shujiri toppled to the ground at Falcone and Jackel's feet. As they went to help him up, Zira vanished.

Everyone stood in awe for a while at the spectacle they had just borne witness to, unsure of what to say or do. Then, after a minute, Shujiri groaned. "Great; he Teleported."

"We should find him." Falcone put in.

"Aye, let's get started."

"We can cover more ground if we split up, so one of us should start down this wing of the inn. Someone else can start searching around town, and the other can check in the opposite side of the inn as the first."

"That's still a lot of ground to cover; we should get a few of our friends that are already patched up to help look."

"A good idea."

"Look for what?" came Jeliel's groggy inquisition in time with Sahari's, who had been right behind him upon entering the room. "And where's the prissy Priest? I could hear that screaming all the way down the hall from here."

"Glad you're up. Ye can help us look for him. We were about to wake him up when he Teleported, and we have no idea where he went."

Sahari stared at Shujiri for a moment. "You're serious.."

"Yup."

"..You lost blondie."

"Aye."

Jeliel rolled his eyes. "Let 'im stay lost for a while. Maybe it'll do him some good."

Sahari smacked the High Wizard on his good arm and glared as she moved to stand by Jackel.

"Let's go." Shujiri said, heading for the door. "I'm gonna start looking for him around here."

Falcone nodded. "Then I'll begin on the other side of the inn."

Before Jeliel could speak, Jackel lifted his uninjured arm and said, "Dibs on the lower end'a town!"

Sahari smiled and pointed to the gunman. "I'm with him."

Glaring at the others, Jeliel crossed his arms gingerly. "You're all against me. Fine - I'll take the north end of town."

**_A bit later.._**

Jeliel sighed. "Stupid idiot, inventing a new way to run away; who even thought sleep-Teleporting was possible?"

He walked on in silence, glancing at his surroundings as he went. The town was quaint enough, he supposed; not too busy that it was hard to move through like Prontera could be, but not quiet enough that it seemed nearly deserted like Veins, either. The water y the pathway he took was crystal clear, and although it reminded him of the previous night at sea to look at it, he couldn't deny that it was beautiful. Even the weather seemed pleasant, and it added to the relaxing atmosphere of the town.

Reaching the end of the path, Jeliel heard the sound of soft crying and sniffing from behind the nearest building. Curious, he advanced toward the noise to see who it was.

There, tucked between the back of the building and where the edge of the town dropped to the water around it, sat Zira. The blonde was curled against the wall, arms around his legs and face buried against his knees; his entire uniform seemed as if it had been dunked into the ocean again..and, judging by how wet his hair looked, him, too.

To say the sight was unexpected and somewhat pitiful wouldn't quite do it justice. Quirking a brow, Jeliel cleared his throat and said softly, hoping not to alarm the man too much, "You look like a drowned rat."

Looking up slightly, Zira rubbed his eyes on his palms and murmured, "I Teleported into the water."

Nodding in understanding, Jeliel leaned down and took a seat beside the other man when he realized he wasn't about to stand up yet. They were silent for a few moments before he said, "That's what Shujiri said. Well, that you Teleported; not the bit about the water. But it sounds amusing, I guess."

A weak chuckle came from Zira. "I guess it would've been, from someone else's perspective."

"I think I can help dry you off again, if you want. I don't know for sure."

"Eh?"

"Well, it'll either dry you off or set you on fire."

"Being cooked alive. Delightful..."

"The chances of that are actually pretty small."

"Still, I think I'll pass. I'm fine with being wet for now."

"Until you get sick." Jeliel countered, smirking. "Let me just try?"

Sighing, Zira nodded. "Go ahead..."

The Wizard placed his hands on the smaller figure's shoulders, eyes half-closed in concentration. It was a fine line between feeling the heat of a Fire Ball forming in his palms and allowing it to actually take shape; if he let them warm too much, it might harm the blue-eyed man. But finally, when he felt he had gathered enough heat from the spell, he pushed it through his hands and into the fabric beneath his touch. Slowly, it transferred through Zira's uniform and even dried off his hair for the most part, too.

Once he was through, Jeliel leaned against the wall. "Told you I wouldn't set you on fire." he taunted, sticking his tongue out. The teasing remark received no reply and he looked to the Priest, concerned. The blonde looked troubled by something. "What's with the tears and the long face?" he inquired.

"It was just another dream."

"Dream? Or nightmare?"

"A nightmare; it was terrible. Everyone was getting killed and I couldn't do anything to stop it or to help. There was a Sniper, but he seemed to be on our side; he was fighting and trying to keep some other Assassin Cross dressed all in black and red out of trouble, and he got knocked away by Satan Morroc's hand. I don't know what happened to him after that, but then Jackel gets shot with an arrow from somewhere and Sahari's running over to him and gets hit with the monster's tail...So many innocent bystanders that were just trying to run away or help their loved ones were killed either by Satan Morroc or his terrible subordinates. I was so busy trying to save those that were left that I couldn't do anything to help the rest of the people even when they were screaming and crying and being torn apart by the monsters."

At this, the High Priest teared up again, pulling his knees closer to his chest. Jeliel watched him for a bit before finally tugging him over and patting his back gently. With this new source of warmth and unexpected comfort, Zira's sobs died down rather quickly. When he was able to speak again, he said, "There were so many people dying and screaming for help and the entire world felt like it was in agony - like it knew it was dying with everyone else. It was all so horrible..."

"The sounds of it make me kinda glad I can't really remember a whole lot from that period of time. Too bad you and Shujiri can."

"There were just so many people who needed help, and I was the only Priest around; they all deserved to live just as much as the rest of us did, but I couldn't even stop to help someone without failing another person that needed me just as much. When I have those kinds of dreams, it's like it's all happening again; it seems so real, even though it's not. And now, ever since I've started having them, every time I close my eyes I can hear so many screams and see so many faces that we all had to watch die - it feels like we should have been able to help them. Like I let them down and failed at my duties as-"

A pair of lips upon his effectively silenced Zira, although it didn't stop him from gasping in surprise against them and his eyes from widening. His shock made him much more pliable to the other male's movements, and he felt a tingle in his spine when he registered that Jeliel had placed his arms around his waist.

It was far from an unpleasant experience, he had to admit. Outside of the kiss from that terrifying Paladin he remembered in his dreams now and then, it was the first he'd shared with someone. Certainly he was no expert at it, but it did feel very nice. The feelings of fear and uselessness from moments before were gone, now - vanished like night before the dawn. Slowly, he let his eyes drift shut like the Wizard's and gave up any inner attempts at explaining the situation with logic or reasoning. When they pulled away, if Jeliel said it was a joke or started mocking him or dismissed it as nothing, he was going to feel incredibly foolish. For now, though, he'd might as well enjoy it while he could.

**_Meanwhile.._**

Shujiri pressed himself up against the side of the building Jeliel and Zira were behind. Having finished his search without results, he'd decided to go and assist Jeliel in looking around; Alberta was a decently-sized town, and to take on the task of looking for someone alone in half of it was quite a large chore to do. When he heard their voices, he moved towards where they were coming from and caught bits of the conversation. He hadn't known or thought of how his friend must have felt through the ordeal, having been the only healer available and being forced to choose between his typical duties to others and trying to save the fighters so that everyone else had a better chance at surviving.

Then, as he rounded the corner, he'd seen Jeliel lean over the man and pull him into a kiss. Not wanting to be seen and interrupt the moment, he slipped back to the other side of the building to give them their privacy.

Well, he definitely hadn't seen _that_ coming. They were practically always at each other's throats, but yet Jeliel stunned the lithe blonde with a kiss that seemed as though it had been unplanned. It was obviously the first such occurrence between them, and unless they wanted to talk about it, he'd just respect their privacy on the matter. He did feel a bit envious, however, at the dark-eyed Wizard's bravado in such a bold action. Now if only he could bring up the courage in himself to do the same...

He glanced back around the corner to see if it was safe to intrude, but upon seeing Zira's arms lock around Jeliel's neck as the gloved Magician wove a glove-free hand gently through blonde tresses, he decided against it. Instead, he opted to turn back and tell Jackel and the others that the two would return in a bit.

**_Later.._**

"Everyone all ready to board?" Shujiri called out to his friends from aboard the ship they were going to take to Amatsu.

"Yeah, yeah." yawned Sahari, clinging to Jackel and Dmitri's arms. "Let's just go already."

The blue-haired Assassin chuckled at this. "Aye, okay; all aboard that's going aboard!"

One by one (mostly,) the group got up onto the ship. First came Lady Lana, and close behind her was Sahari, dragging the two men she had a hold on up behind her. Then came Alex, with Tyr close at his that was Falcone, who had his arm protectively encompassing Ghebriel's waist to guide him up the ramp and onto the ship. Pharin flew overhead, landing on top of one of the masts to watch the ship's crew bustle about in preparation for setting sail. Behind them was Jeliel, who passed by Shujiri with a slight glare and a tell-tale blush. He was fully aware that Shujiri had stumbled upon them earlier, apparently. His arm lagged suspiciously behind him a bit and Zira was very close after him, bringing up the rear of the group. A stealthy look down told the blue Assassin that the two's hands were linked as inconspicuously as possible, and gave a good-natured laugh to himself at the blushing, somewhat insecure look on his friend's face.

Once everyone was aboard, voices from below caught their attention. Looking down, they saw their new friends from the destroyed _Black Dragon_. Each of them was waving up to them, calling out well-wishings and goodbyes.

Torq and Felix were closest, and the 'Smith seemed more energetic about the parting than the reserved Champion, who merely had his arms crossed and nodded a silent farewell while he smirked at them.

Hughes was atop Torq's shoulders, hands cupped around his mouth as he shouted, "Oi! You lot be more careful this time, y'fucking hear me? If you die I'll have to find you and HL your damn sorry asses into Valhalla!"

Beside him was Mavrik, laughing softly. He spotted Jeliel and their eyes locked, a serious conversation being spoken without words. '_Keep training,_' Mavrik. '_Don't get too reckless,_' Jeliel. '_It's been good to see you again, 'El,_' Mavrik again. '_Until next time, Ava',_' Jeliel.

Amune supported Bennett on the other side of Mavrik, the two waving peacefully at the travelers as the ship began sailing away.

Finally, there were Kurt and his brother, Vladmir. Though he was in better shape than before, the Stalker still held onto his twin for stability and support, though he did move back slightly to bid them goodbye with a wave of his arm. Kurt shot Zira, Lana, Shujiri, and Alex a thankful look for what they'd done to help the snow-haired man beside him.

When the crowd dispersed, Shujiri turned to his friends again and said, "We're off to Amatsu!"**  
To Be Continued..**


	32. R&R The Journey to Amatsu

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: ***facedesking* I had to type this up at work, print it up, and bring it home to type it again, because I can't save or e-mail anything from there and I needed to finalize the chapter's structure from what I'd had on paper. Life sucks at times...Oh, right, we need a theme for this don't we? Eh, well, let's go with "Out of Curiosity," from one of the levels of the Geffen Dungeon. I'm too lazy to go back and check right now. Also, originally this chapter was going to have rough summaries of back stories in it but I scrapped that in favour of just moving things along. (Mostly because I wasn't sure about the back stories for a couple of people, particularly the characters that aren't mine, so I opted to leave them out for now. We'll get back to them later.)**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Rest and Relaxation - The Journey to Amatsu  
**The ship, which turned out to be named _The Ocean's Angel_, sailed without a hitch towards Amatsu.

On board, Sahari hadn't stopped pestering Jackel as he tried to clean his guns; once he'd set up to begin, she had dropped down beside him to watch the process. For the most part, he seemed torn between wanting to enjoy the attention she was providing and the desire to be left alone to work in peace.

Dmitri had taken the girl's absence as a time to relax and reflect on the recent events of his life. There was a lot to think about, so he was thankful for a little down time; he so rarely got any, thanks to his appearance and the girl he now considered his daughter.

Alex was going over the things in his cart, inspecting them and debating prices for what could be sold and tidying up what couldn't. He would need a few materials, but he was pretty sure he could personally refine and improve some of it enough to be of use to them on their travels. He did, after all, owe some of them shiny new things.

Falcone was constantly following the spacey Ghebriel around, now more-so than ever. His protective nature had been on in full force since the healers in Alberta had told him that the rest of the damage to Ghebriel's eye and vision would need to heal naturally for the most part.

At first, the efforts had been appreciated by the light-eyed man; he was having a hard time adjusting and stumbled now and then due to his altered depth perception. After a while, though, he'd started to get frustrated. He didn't mind being helped a bit now and then, but the Scholar had started trying to do _everything _for him - even trying to undress him and deposit him into the bath that had been installed in one of the lower decks of the luxurious ship! Even Ghebriel had to put his foot down there; he wasn't _helpless, _he was just at a bit of a disadvantage!

Pharin, who had found the whole situation ridiculously hilarious at the expense of his poor master, had gotten a good, long laugh at the exchange before finally flying down and pecking at the redhead until he was forced to leave the incredibly uncomfortable 'Chemist alone. He knew better than to think that Ghebriel was grounded enough to be embarrassed by being naked around someone else; the shorter male was intelligent, but he wasn't always very connected with typical social behaviours and the normal taboo. So, he sat facing the door to watch for Falcone's possible return.

Tyr was resting comfortably in the ship's freezer, enjoying the cool temperatures it provided. He had missed the typical weather of Lutie's field, and this was as close as they could get without either going back or venturing to the ice caves.

Zira had opted to catch up on the sleep he'd been interrupted in during the past few days of their trip. He now lay across the length of a chair, his head resting on the cushion near Jeliel as the cloaked man read through some scrolls to pass the time.

Jeliel, himself, would annoyedly dodge any questions about the unusual closeness even if there were no physical contact to accompany it. He would simply re-route the conversation to something else or, when it came from Shujiri, blush and ignore the asker pointedly.

After a while the others had given up and left them to their devices. Which, really, suited him just fine. This left him to his scrolls in peace, although after going through a few of them his head started hurting from trying to understand some of what they were saying. When that happened, he turned instead to watching the blonde as he slept, his left hand occasionally moving over and swiping a stray bit of hair out of his face.

He wasn't sure what had prompted him to kiss the High Priest earlier, or where the sudden burst of defensiveness when it came to discussing the matter with the others came from. It wasn't as though he tended to choose random awkward moments to express attachment to people he liked, nor did he think he really _had _liked him to begin with. Rather, they had argued often and their friendship had started off in a very unconventional way. Or, at least, that was what the blurry but very real-feeling memory told him. Not many people could say they had befriended the person they were originally trying to kill in the Versus Arena, after all. But, just the same, it had happened. Whatever it would lead to from there was up to fate...and a certain blonde.

Meanwhile, Lady Lana had taken it upon herself to go around and enchant everyone with a few rounds of Kyrie Eleison and Blessing ("Just in case," she said when anyone asked,) from time to time.

Last but not least, Shujiri was left to himself as he sat at the railing, watching the oceanic scenery go by as the ship sped along the route to the oriental town. So much had happened in the span of a mere few days; it was almost hard to imagine.

When Freya told him to seek out the others, he hadn't really been sure what to expect from them; she'd said they wouldn't remember everything he and Pharin did, at least not right off the bat, but hadn't told him why. He wasn't even really sure why Pharin remembered everything. Admittedly, he was glad the little Filir did; he would have someone else with all their wits about them to help out when the time came to explain everything.

It was one of the most wonderful things in the world, getting to see all of his old friends again; so many of them, so far, had changed so little from how he remembered them! True, those closer to the outer circle of the group were a bit more different than before, but they were still the same people deep down. He was mildly surprised to see that some of them had become stronger or faster this time around, while others had forgotten some of what they were capable of.

That was another mystery to him. It seemed as if the gods had completely chosen at random who would remember and be able to do what. The only things that seemed more or less untouched from what he could tell, besides personalities and, in some cases, appearances, were their lives. For the most part, they all seemed to have had almost the same experiences and childhood as they had admitted to in their first life with him. It was astounding, but try as he may, he couldn't think of a reason for it unless it were specifically in the plan for their fates. And, really, he wouldn't put it past the gods for that to be the case. Perhaps the events in their lives that had remained the same had been meant to shape them or strengthen them in ways they hadn't yet been capable of realizing and putting to use; that could explain why they kept happening.

During the trek to Lutie, he had talked to Zira and Alex about what they'd been up to before he found them this time and had learned that it was basically the same thing as before. Then, during the trip through Prontera, Sahari and Dmitri had been willing to tell him about themselves.

The only ones that seemed tight-lipped were Jackel and Jeliel. He'd suspected that it might be a bit painful to think about if what Zira had told him about the Gunslinger's dream had any true, real-life base to it. It was made even more uncomfortable of a subject by the uncertainty now as to whether that event had already come to pass in this life as well, or if it were simply a warning that it was going to...

Jeliel, however, he wasn't really sure about; he'd _never_ shared much about his past, even in his previous lives when he was more open and amiable. Because of his aversion to it, no one had ever really pushed the matter. He only seemed to get more and more frustrated in each life until he seemed so at edge in this one that he had nearly been unbearable.

At least until Zira had yelled at him on the docks. Ever since then he'd almost seemed more comfortable somehow, almost as if having someone counterpoint his opinions and lecture him now and again provided a level of comfortable familiarity that made it easier for him to accept some situations. Whatever the reason it had to be effective, because it had certainly produced the unusual scenario he had stumbled upon back in town. He would just have to watch and see how it progressed, if in fact it had a chance to go further at all. As much as he cared for all of his friends, the blonde had been the first person he had met that had accepted him for who he was and what he did and didn't judge him for it; he couldn't help but be at least a bit more protective for that.

Come to think of it, even Zira, himself, was a bit of an oddity to the Assassin Cross. More often than not, although they were considered 'cool' for their abilities and enigmatic ways of life, Assassins were also feared by others. Outside of other Assassins and Thieves, a handful of Stalkers, and the occasional Sniper, they weren't usually accepted by the world around him.

Yet, here was a man of the gods- one of the most physically defenseless and religious sort of people out there -who had seen past his occupation to the person he really was. He hadn't been afraid of him at all; rather, he'd almost intentionally become a protector of sorts to him - his best friend. He asked for nothing and gave so much into keeping him safe.

Suddenly he had found himself acquiring more friends as they traveled together. Jeliel, Falcone, Smith, Ghebriel, Rine, Eos, Dmitri,...More people seemed to be willing to associate with him because of the unusual blonde. They accompanied one another, had adventures together - practically matured. They even survived terrible ordeals through their lives together, yet they had continued to seek each other out whether they were consciously aware of it or not. That meant so much to the former loner.

Then, there was Lady Lana. He sighed. She was new, alright; new and beautiful. She reminded him of a female Zira somewhat, although the similarities were only somewhat superficial and didn't extend too far; she was her own person, through and through. Devoted to her occupation and loyal to her friends, she didn't seem to be afraid of voicing her opinion now and then. It was an amusing quality, sometimes, although she could be a bit harsh. On the surface she seemed like such a typical _girl_; prim, more or less proper, respectful, a follower of the rules...But when one dug a bit deeper, there was so much more to it. She wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

When he thought for a moment, he chuckled at the comparison his mind had come up with: she was somewhat like the ocean. In her better moods, she was calm and happy and her laughter was about as forceful as a brook or a gentle wave climbing lazily up the shores of the beach at low tide. But if you got on her bad side, she could be as undeniable and frightening as the ocean could be ruthless and untamed.

He'd never met her before this life, and although he knew there was nothing to the playful interactions between her and Jackel, he was still a bit jealous. She seemed to consider the gunman as nothing more than a friend, although occasionally when she looked at him or scolded him lightly for something, Shujiri felt those traitorous suspicions arising once again. It was made even worse by the fact that the boisterous Gunslinger had a rather flirtatious, larger-than-life nature and looked at her as though she reminded him of someone close to him, although he didn't seem to be quite sure how or why.

The Assassin was only calmed to silence about it because of Sahari. The young girl had as much of Jackel's attention as Lana did, and that meant he wasn't just devoting his attention solely to the Priestess.

And speaking of Lana...

"It's nice to get to sit back and not help with the crew's chores this time, isn't it?" asked the woman from behind him, her hands clasped at her lap.

Shujiri smirked and teased, "Ye say that as if ye had to do it last time."

Lana giggled softly and stepped up to his side, looking out over the waves. "He was of the opinion that women are bad luck if they do chores on the ship that usually go to men. It's amazing, but I wonder how he came to that sexist conclusion?"

At this, Shujiri snorted and burst into laughter.

"What?"

"That's why he had you three go up there to keep 'im company?"

"Yes, why? What did you think his reasoning was, pervert?"

"It's just," he started once he'd calmed down a bit, "After that cross-dressing sting in Izlude we made him do, and after all the puns and jokes I've heard him put up with in all of our lives, I wonder how Zira felt about Drake thinking he was a girl in his _normal_ clothes."

"Ahh. I really don't think he realized that. By the time he started to flirt with us, Zira and Sahari were both already pretty much plastered. Sahari even egged him on a little bit."

"I wish I could say I was surprised."

Silence fell between them for a moment as Lana debated asking the questions she'd had since meeting the man at her side and his little group of friends. She knew she should respect his privacy, but she was growing more and more curious with every mention of their pasts that was made.

At last, she spoke. "I know you said you want to wait until you've found everyone again before you go into any specific details about what your lives were like, or what you've all gone through, but I was wondering..."

"Aye?"

"It's about the whole 'past lives' situation. I believe it is possible to be reborn, yes, and I believe that there must be a good enough cause for it to be permissible by the gods, but for that to have happened for all of you - in order for all of you to still retain some form of memories about the connections you shared that makes you search for each other time and time again, what happened? I know your goal is to eventually fight and defeat Satan Morroc, but what happened to begin this for all of you?"

Shujiri looked to her for a few moments, regarding her silently. Then, finally, he sighed and stood upright, hands still on the railing. "For the time being, nothing I tell ye goes further than us right now. They'll need to know all the details later, but most of it they aren't ready to hear yet for various reasons. Whatever they remember on their own could be bad enough as is, especially if Zira's dreams decide to link to someone else's again."

Lana nodded. "I understand; I won't say a thing to any of them, or even let on that you've told me."

"Alright. But...I think a nice walk away from the potential of prying ears could help things connect better. Would ye join me?" The blue-haired Assassin held out his arm to the woman.

Smiling, Lana nodded and placed her hands at his elbow as they started off. "Of course."

"Where should I start..."

"As close to the source of the matter as possible, perhaps? That might be a good way to go about it."

"You know we need to destroy Satan Morroc, right?"

"Mhmm."

"And you know we've been chosen to do it. We've come closer to ridding Rune-Midgard of the threat of his evil than anyone else without ditching him into a pocket dimension."

"Yes."

"We don't stand a chance against that monster if we can't find everyone and catch back up. But as to why we even started this quest in the first place, it's just..."

"Just what?"

"We were the closest to ground zero when he was summoned. He was _summoned_. A group of people willingly brought him out. It's always the same three people and they seem to know how it'll end, and what that means for them, too, but they do it anyway."

"Three? I only remember the mention of the Paladin."

"There was also a Sniper, who is continually responsible for Jackel's death when the big battle comes up. The third one is kind of confusing, though. He's a High Priest, and-"

"He's a _Priest_?"

"Yep; he seems to be the ring leader of the three. They look to him for orders, follow what he says...Even Satan Morroc seems to have a tie with him somehow, because most of the things he says, that big beast obeys. And worse still, he doesn't seem to have any remorse for summoning him. He always acts like it's some big revenge plot they're carrying out for something and they actually _enjoy_ watching people die. The more confusing thing is, though, he looks almost exactly like-"

"All ashore that's goin' ashore!" called the ship's captain, breaking through the Assassin's serious atmosphere and bringing the two to look up to the dock the ship had settled at. "First stop is: Amatsu!"

Ghebriel walked briskly through a cabin door and to the main deck, bustling quickly past the two with a sigh. "At last." He paid no mind to the fact that Pharin was flapping behind him a short distance back, his master's cloak held by the talons.

"Wait up, 'Brie; you really shouldn't be moving about so quickly on your own yet!" Falcone called out after the Creator, speeding after him only to be head butted by Pharin, whose impact was made more effective by the boost of speed he had given himself.

"Give the retard some space, idiot!" Pharin tweeted angrily, swinging his tiny feet wildly and in the process slapping Falcone with the cloak a few times.

"Ow! But he- ouch!"

Shujiri chuckled lightly at this and stepped to the side for a newly-well-rested Zira to pass. Not far behind him was Jeliel, looking more calm than Shujiri had seen him in a long time. It was nice knowing that he probably wouldn't be throwing any of his temper tantrums for at least a little while.

He was about to comment on this to Lana when Zira stopped, eyes wide as if only having just remembered something. The Priest turned, slapped the High Wizard across the face, and then stormed off the ship. The top hat-wearing man was at his heels, once again off on one of his tirades.

One by one, everyone filed off the ship and took their first real step towards their destiny in the Land of Destiny.**  
To Be Continued..**


	33. Descent Into the Shrine

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **Finally we get to the part where they're in the shrine. It only took forever, right? This time I'll only say this: we need a theme, so it's going to be "Can't Go Home Again, Baby," from the Amatsu dungeon. x3**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Descent Into the Shrine  
**"So this is Amatsu?" Zira wondered aloud, glancing at their surroundings. "It's beautiful, but it seems so pure and peaceful considering what's going on in the rest of the world."

"I believe it's always been this way." Falcone replied softly, his gaze drawn down to the young 'Chemist at his side. "Relaxing, peaceful, inviting...A perfect place to settle down a while."

Lana smiled gently at the pair, and Shujiri gently nudged the Scholar in the side. "Why don't ye go take a look at your old place while we search for Chrnos and Xabel?"

Ghebriel smiled at the suggestion. "That's not such a bad idea. At the rate our luck has been going, we could use it to settle in for the night if something comes up."

"So what're we a-waitin' fer? Let's git started, eh?" Jackel put in.

"Who starts where?" asked Dmitri. "We don't know anything about them to have the first clue of where to start looking."

"Not so." Jeliel snorted, arms crossed. "Or weren't you listening in Prontera when that Paladin was explaining everything?"

_Impressive,_ Tyr chuckled to Shujiri, _He listened._

Aloud, Pharin replied, "Whaddaya know? You _can_ be useful. He's right, the guy mentioned a hidden shrine here. Since they specifically _came_ to Amatsu, where d'you think they probably went? 'Cuz my zeny's on a nice romantic spot in Jawaii."

"Pharin," Ghebriel warned softly, "You can tone down just a bit on the sarcasm for now."

"Shouldn't we be headed for that house about now, retard?"

"If we know where to begin, we should start there now and go back to the house later."

Sahari cleared her throat, tapping her foot as she semi-patiently waited for everyone's attention. Once she had it, she asked, "Mind maybe telling us where this hidden shrine _is_? It's not like it's called a _hidden_ shrine for no reason."

"That's the tricky part." Shujiri muttered, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "We really only ever went once or twice; I'm not positive where it is now."

"You're a useful one, then." came a voice from a little ways ahead of the gang. "If you need an escort, I can show you where to go; I'm heading there, myself, as is."

The others turned to face the newcomer, surprised at the input.

Being the first to recover, Shujiri asked the white-haired, white-and-gold-clothed Assassin Cross before them, "That'd be good; thank ye, but...Who are you?"

"Name's Sarta. I'm on an errand run so to speak."

"Shujiri. These're my companions: Jeliel, Zira, Alex, Falcone, Sahari, Jackel, Ghebriel, his homunculus named Pharin, Dmitri, Lady Lana, and my pet named Tyr."

"Great, so shall we head off then?"

The strange man started off towards the far end of town, not waiting to see if they followed.

Alex glanced uncertainly at the others. Should they, or shouldn't they? The long-haired man was a stranger, but he at least seemed nice enough...Then again, 'nice' was becoming a pretty subjective description these days, what with Satan Morroc's evil influence tainting everything...

Shujiri and the others rushed up, slowing only when they were behind the man. "How do you know where it is?" he asked, skeptical and wary.

"I've been there before a few times, myself. A pal of mine makes a killing off of some of the things the monsters that find their way into it drop when they die."

"Really? What do they leave?" Dmitri inquired.

"Masks, for the most part. Random junk...The good stuff comes from the ghost that haunts it. You can kill it but it keeps coming back again and again later on; we think that's because since it's already dead, it can't really be _killed_ again, per se."

Ghebriel hummed at this thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, the spirits in Lighthalzen's labs were basically the same way."

"You went in there?"

"Well, yes; I wanted to do some research on the things left in there when it was abandoned and I'd heard it was haunted as well. I had hoped to get some information on the matter while I was there, but..."

Falcone flushed as his memory brought up the events following this conversation the last time he had held it with the Biochemist. Sarta shook his head. "Not smart, dude." the Assassin stated with a sigh. "Don't underestimate anything. Not with all the weird things going on lately, especially."

The words piqued Shujiri's interest. "What kinds of things?"

"Weird things. Even paper's gotten dangerous, as ridiculous as it sounds."

The group walked on in silence after this until they arrived at the mouth of a cave. When Sarta moved forward to enter, Shujiri placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are ye sure that's the way there? I don't remember this..."

"Please." Sarta snorted, stepping away from the blue-clad man. "Do you want the entrance all the monsters use, or would you rather we get to the shrine in one piece? I can arrange either, but my fruit cocktail pal's never had problems with my preferred route."

"Makes 'nough sense t' me; lead the way." Jackel shrugged and said.

With no further objections, they started into the cave behind Sarta. Though he seemed trust worthy so far, it wouldn't hurt to be wary of the surroundings. That in mind, they proceeded with a watchful eye on the area.

Inside, there seemed to be monsters everywhere. Shinobi drifted around, keeping alert for intruders as Antique Firelock Skeletons ambled around on lookout duty. Mimics bounced around under the eerie light of the occasional Horong that floated aimlessly through the air. The floor and walls were covered in moss and occasionally there would be a tree that thrived in dark places rooted here and there - perfect hiding spots for the many creatures that had invaded the cave's interior.

Glancing around, Pharin tweeted quietly in awe of the cave's unusual habitat. It was big and diverse, that's for sure; even in the wild of the forests and fields he'd never seen so many different creatures in one small space.

Sahari gave voice to the little Filir's thoughts, whispering, "Sure are a lot of monsters in here. I wonder why..."

Sarta shrugged. "No clue."

A soft sound of inquiry brought their attention back to the smaller area in front of them. A passing Miyabi Doll had spotted their hiding place.

"Can I kill it?" asked Sahari.

"No way; she's adorable!" Dmitri hissed.

"Sure is a pretty thing." Jackel agreed.

"Kill it and I kill you." Sarta replied simply, his smile belying how serious he was about his statement. "She's our guide."

"Our guide?"

"Watch." Sarta turned back to the feminine monster, smiling at her and then bowing. When she returned the action, he said softly, "We need to get to the shrine; can you do that?"

The long-haired monster smiled, glancing around to see that the coast was clear, and then motioned for them to follow her.

"How did you...?" Alex began, his eyes wide.

"She's my pet; I ask her to come down here now and then to scout out the area and make sure it's safe to enter to avoid unwanted confrontation. Since she's one of them, they never question why she disappears and then turns up again later on. Though, even in the wild, her kind's not aggressive like the other things down here. If you attack them they'll fight back, yes, but they won't seek you out or start a fight if they spot you. For the most part, they're just curious about new things and people."

"So she'll just lead us to the shrine?"

"Yep, that's the plan. There are a lot of twists and turns in this place, so it's easy to get lost - even if you've been this way several times. It's safer to let her lead. The shrine's hidden under the cave and the only two ways to reach it are the ones I mentioned."

"Ohh!" Ghebriel exclaimed hushedly. "I read about that back in one of Kellasus's classes!"

"Indeed," Falcone concurred. "Even I've taught a few classes on ancient cultures; it was covered in one of the ones about the Amatsians. It was carved into the earth beneath the caves because, at the time, looters were known to rob even holy sanctuaries. They reinforced its structure with strong wood from the Yggdrasil Tree itself, legend says, and used the naturally occurring labyrinth of the caves above it to help serve as protection from danger."

Looking up at Falcone, Ghebriel gave a faint smile as the other man clasped his hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. They finished together in perfect unison, "Only people charged with guarding the shrine and serving it knew the way through the cavernous maze and the route taken changed from day to day - the leaders would purposely guide visitors through false tunnels and paths to protect the secret of the real path."

Jeliel quirked a brow. "You two are made for each other." he snorted, arms crossed as he rolled his eyes.

"I think it was interesting, thank you." Zira stated, glaring across at Jeliel.

"You've been PMS'ing ever since we got here, too."

"YOU TRIED TO KILL ME!"

"I- WHAT? When?"

Lana and Shujiri exchanged a look but remained silent as they continued to follow the gentle monster ahead of them. Zira had chosen to ignore the High Wizard and Jeliel, himself, seemed to have taken the option of returning the silence, so the risk of being discovered due to their arguing was now over.

A creaking sound reached their ears and, suspicious, they stopped moving. "What was that?" Dmitri asked.

The sound came again and the group glanced around. Even the Miyabi Doll seemed to be unsure of what was making the strange noise; she didn't see any monsters besides herself and the Garm Baby around, but...

A loud crash behind Sahari and Lana startled everyone and it was followed by Jackel's cry of surprise. When they turned to inspect the cause of this they saw a hole in the floor of the cave where the Gunslinger had been standing.

A loud crash echoed below the hole and everyone quickly gathered around it, eyes wide.

Zira shouted down at him, "Are you alright?"

The sound of Jackel's grenade launcher, which he always kept slung over his shoulder across his back, echoed through the area below them as a bright light lit up the man's face. He waved up at everyone, his free hand rubbing his lower back gingerly. "Yep," he shouted up, "I ain't too bad off - jes' sore as a Poring wh'n Sahari's done with it; ain't none too pleasant!"

Sarta snickered, stepping away from the hole in the floor. Once he had cleared of its area, he let out an all-out cackle, tears forming in his eyes. Slowly, he dropped to the ground to his knees then fell onto his back, one hand on his chest and the other pointing at the hole. "You-!" he struggled to begin, his laughter starting anew, "You fell through! Wha- what do you _weigh_?"

Sahari snickered but gave the man a kick in the leg as she grumbled, "You try carrying all those weapons with you and see if you don't weigh a lot too, piggy."

Another creaking sound was barely audible over Sarta's uncontrollable laughter and Zira exchanged a glance with Shujiri as it sounded again. Then, before anyone could react, the group beneath Sarta fell through and he fell in as well. He landed with a hard thud on top of Jackel.

Winded, the Gunslinger groaned and finally shoved the dazed man off of him. "Git off'a me!"

At this, Pharin's laughter began to fill the air around those who still remained on their feet. "You fell through!" he recited in gleeful mockery, his wings flapping wildly in excitement. "Ha! Sasha here's as fat as that weapon-toting hard head!"

Glaring up at Pharin, Jackel pulled his revolver out and shouted up as he took aim, "I ain't big, y'dern varmint! How many times d'I gotta say it?"

Pausing, Ghebriel blinked as a thought struck him. He turned his light eyes onto Zira and tugged gently at his sleeve. "Uhm, I think we need to consider something."

"Yes?"

"Well, it's about weight distribution and stress points."

"...And?"

Creak...

"To put it simply?"

"That would be nice."

"I think-"

Creak...

"-We need to mo-"

CRASH!

There was only enough time to realize what had happened before everyone was falling through the now-gigantic hole in the ground.

Zira and Falcone instinctively kicked their wings into action. The blonde grabbed onto Shujiri and, although Sahari and Alex were closer, the bespectacled Professor snatched Ghebriel into the safety of his arms. For his part, Shujiri darted his arms out and latched onto Lana and Tyr, pulling them in tight against his body.

Zira bit into his lower lip at the unexpected additional weight his wings were now being forced to carry. He gave an experimental flap with them, trying to push them back up to safety rather than simply hovering, but groaned when they simply refused to cooperate.

Falcone and Ghebriel tried to grab for the Priest's cargo as soon as they saw them beginning to plummet but were unable to reach them in time. The Miyabi Doll reached out and snagged the Garm Baby, pulling him safely back up to the floor beside her. As Pharin laughed wildly and the two monsters watched them from where they were gazing down into the hole and Sarta and Jackel attempted to move out from under the others to move out of the way of yet more falling bodies, the three humans fell to the floor below and landed practically on top of the pile.

The lovers exchanged a look and Falcone quickly descended, followed by a still-snickering Pharin.

Jeliel and Alex sat up, rubbing their heads, as the two landed. "That smarted a bit more than I expected it would..." the High Wizard grumbled.

"Ugh, my achin' everything." Sahari groaned, pushing herself up as well.

Shaking her head, Lana moved off of Shujiri with a light blush.

"Everyone alright-ish?" Shujiri asked, hoisting himself up. He extended his hand to Zira, pulling him back up as well, and then set up to work inspecting his wings to make sure they hadn't been damaged by the impact.

"Hel far, y'all're heavy..." Jackel moaned.

Dmitri dusted himself off and glared up at Pharin, who had made his head into a perch, still laughing.

The little Filir glanced around at everyone in the light of Jackel's still-active flare. He chirped gleefully before putting in, "Looks like you're all still alive. You guys rock - you guys are all awesome. That could've only happened to you."

A slight glimmer of silver caught Alex's attention. Walking over to it, he plucked an arrow from the ground. It had been snapped into a few pieces, and there were a few more in similar conditions near it. Glancing up, he quirked a brow at the smaller hole in the floor (_Ceiling, now,_ he reminded himself,) and turned back to face the others. He held it up, saying, "Maybe not. Look here."

"Pretty convincing evidence, Pharin." Ghebriel prodded lightly.

Shujiri chuckled, but as he was about to respond with a jab of his own, a flash of red around the distant corner caught his attention. He turned towards it, brows furrowed as he cocked his head to one side.

"You saw it too, huh?" Sarta whispered to him, nodding in the direction they were gazing.

"Aye." Shujiri replied. "You thinkin' what I'm thinking?"

"Investigate?"

With a nod, the blue-haired Assassin Cross turned back to the others and called softly, "Now don't be alarmed, but keep quiet. Sarta 'n' me are gonna go check something out. Stay put."

Shujiri turned back to Sarta and they set off.

Glancing around, Sarta chuckled. "I always forget how weirdly this place is set up. Doesn't make it easy to find your way around if you're focused completely on tracking something."

"Or someone..." muttered the taller of the two.

Sarta quirked his brow at this but let it slide.

As they rounded the corner, they had to immediately jump back again when a spectral sword crashed to the ground and chipped the wooden floor, far too close for comfort.

"Looks like we found our guy!" Sarta laughed, pushing his long, white hair out of his face and back over his shoulder. "Let's get this party started!"

Shujiri and Sarta alike prepared their katars, pulling out a poison bottle. They uncapped it and poured it along the blades of their weapons. A hissing sound floated around as the blades took on a deadly purple coating of the toxic liquid.

Sarta was the first to move as he leaped up, katars high overhead. As he landed, he brought them slashing down the spirit's shoulder. The monster shuddered, shrieked, then lunged at the two men.

Inwardly, Shujiri was slightly puzzled. To the best of his memory, no one ever really made their way down here that often. What could the other Assassin possibly need from this monster? And why? If it was really so he could bring back stuff for his friend to sell, then it couldn't be worth all the trouble he'd been through so far. The things it tended to drop didn't really go for much. But he'd said his friend could fetch a high price for them. Might he know Rine...? If so, how? And why?

Further still, there was the fact bothering him that he still didn't know what he had seen a few minutes earlier. Whatever it was had been red, and this thing didn't have that much red on it!

"_Cart Termination_!"

Alex's voices behind Shujiri and Sarta alerted the two to the need to move out of the way. Sure enough, the man's huge cart came zooming through and crashed through the ghost. It grunted at the impact but seemed, by and in large, otherwise completely unaffected.

"I thought I told ye to stay put!" Shujiri scolded teasingly.

Alex chuckled, running one hand through his dark hair. He carefully skirted around the monster, retrieved his art, and edged back to where he'd started from.

"We heard the commotion and decided to help." Zira offered with a sheepish smile, waving to the two men as he made his way towards them.

"Cain't let y'all have all the fun, now, can we?" Jackel put in with a smile.

Shujiri shook his head as the rest of the group arrived.

"Well, if you're all going to pitch in, be careful~" Sarta called out in a sing-song tone of voice as he jumped over the creature's sword again. "And anything it drops, I call dibs on!"

The others shrugged and took a battle-ready, or in the case of Zira and Lana, defensive, stance.

Rather than come at them again, however, the samurai ghost and the Shinobi that had been swaying dangerously around it stopped. Confusing the group further, it even lowered its sword and started to step back a few paces. Finally, it turned its back to its opponents and all-out ran, Shinobi minions and a spectator Miyabi Doll close at its heels.

Sarta cocked his head to one side at the strange behaviour before taking off after it. "Hey! Come back here, stupid! I'm not done with you!"

The others were silent for a moment as they took in what had just happened. Then, finally, Dmitri asked, "What's gotten into it all of the sudden?"

Shujiri stared after it and Falcone sighed. "There's no telling. To my knowledge, I've never seen a monster run from its attacker before..."

"He's right; usually, even if it's not an aggressive monster, it will still fight back when it's attacked. Uhm, like the Cleaner in Prontera." Ghebriel added.

Alex hoisted his cart back up to his hip level and re-attached the latches that allowed him to keep it with him without having to pull it by hand. "There's no telling now, and I doubt it would've sat down to tea with us to explain- AUGH!"

Everyone's attention was on Alex in a flash, but all they noticed was that rather than standing where he had been, he was lying motionless on the floor. A pool of crimson liquid began to form around him and they quickly realized it stemmed from the hole through the right side of his chest.

Lana screamed and jumped back while Shujiri was at his side in a moment. Zira quickly followed him.

"What in tar nation's jes' happened?" Jackel shouted as Sahari clung to him, her eyes hidden in his chest.

"There wasn't anyone in sight to attack him besides us; how could this have possibly happened?" Lana added in. She, too, dropped to her knees and focused her holy energies on assisting Zira to heal the man as quickly as they could to save his rapidly fading life. They wouldn't have much time left.

As he watched the two Priests flip Alex over to continue their work, Shujiri's mind scrolled over what was happening and tried to connect it with anything he could remember from his past lives. There must have been an explanation!

Maero, in the upper levels of Thanatos's Tower, was able to Cloak herself and attack unseen, but she didn't use blades. No, that was Eremes's forte. But when he attacked, he was forced to reveal himself unless he used Grimtooth. Whispers and some worm-like creatures could vanish as well, but they didn't use weapons, either.

So, perhaps the reason they couldn't see the one at fault was because of distance. Cecil was the primary suspect, but she used arrows. That meant they would have still had to have seen the arrow that caused the wound. While she did have range on her side, she wasn't fast enough to grab the arrow without being caught. Besides - none of them had any business being here in the first place. This was a shrine in Amatsu, and-

Shujiri's eyes widened at the realization. How had he not remembered before now? _If this is really what I think, then we're in big trouble...We're as ready for this as we are to face Satan Morroc!_

Feeling a frantic sense of urgency, Shujiri turned his gaze up to the ones standing around him, the two blondes, and their fallen friend. "Everyone, get down! Now!"

Confused, they turned their attention to the Assassin Cross, but they started to comply with his demand.

"What in Rune-Midgard is- AHH!"

They all watched, for some in slow motion, as Falcone tumbled forward, the tip of a sword penetrating through his abdomen and blood blooming out to stain the deep red of his outfit an even darker shade.

Ghebriel cried out as he quickly jumped to move to the Scholar's side. "FALCONE!"

"In the name of the gods I shall kill you for dishonouring this temple!" shouted a stern, angry voice from behind them.

Looking up, they saw a tall, human-shaped monster in the rough basics of a samurai's garb glaring down at them. In one hand, held at his side at the ready for another attack, was a bloodied sword. His long, dark hair was pulled back out of his face.

Dreaded confirmation filled Shujiri's mind as he whispered what he had been afraid of. "Rurouni Yuuki..."**  
To Be Continued..**


	34. Rurouni Yuuki

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **Finally, we get to Yuuki! 8D It only took me forever! I'm so, incredibly, ecstatically proud of this and the last two chapters that you just don't even know. /sob Alright, two quick notes before we get to the theme and then launch into the series. I had some questions about who Sarta is; he's my online brother's Assassin Cross from DelusionRO and DivinationRO. Also, there's the matter of Spiral Pierce. /... I know it's supposed to be a spear move, but that's what Yuuki primarily used on VoidRO and so that's what he's using on here. As for alternating between calling him 'samurai' and 'rurouni,' his actual mob name was Rurouni Yuuki but the mob information section on the server's site listed his alternate name as 'Samurai,' as it was seen on ScytheRO. So I went with both. XD And I have yet to find proof that Yuuki was a girl in any of the sprites I've seen of it, or the screenshots, or the 'tarded self-references it made whenever I fed it as my pet. SO! We'll make it into a boy here. Sorry to those who disagree with the proposition that Yuuki was a girl. /heart NOW! For the theme song, we're still in Amatsu but it might be pushing it to go with that song again, so we'll go with the remixed version which can be found on youtube and is called "Hybridism: Out of Curiosity."**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty: Rurouni Yuuki  
**"What the Helheim is that thing?" cried Sahari, stepping back a few inches as best she could without standing again.

"Yuuki!" Pharin tweeted, hopping excitedly on the distraught Ghebriel's shoulder. "It's me! Relax! You remember us, right?"

Shujiri shushed the homunculus, his eyes remaining trained on the monster. "None of the other monsters have so far, so why should he? We need to treat him like an enemy for our own sakes."

"We can't warp them out yet." Zira warned as he nodded to Falcone and Alex. "They're far too unstable; we need some time to work on them first. Do you think you can do that?"

Shujiri looked down to his fallen friends. Both were pale and had lost a lot of blood. They needed attention, undivided, immediately or their chances of survival were slim to none.

However, the longer they stayed near this monster, the lower the rest of their chances of survival all became. He was far stronger than any of them and much faster; two of them were already in critical condition and down for the count. If they stayed, who's to say the others wouldn't slowly (or not-so-slowly, maybe,) be picked off as well?

The needs of the few versus the needs of the many...

Steeling his reserve, Shujiri nodded to Zira. "You and Lana get to work on them; we'll buy you two some time, but knowing him, it won't be much." With this, he turned to face the others. "We have to keep him as far away from them as possible so they can work their magic. Don't let him get too close to any of you. Distance will be your friend for this, so that means Jackel, Dmitri, and Jeliel, you three are up. Sahari, you stick as close to me as possible and do as I do." Turning to look down at Ghebriel, his gaze softened. In the face of the uncomfortable feeling of reversed familiarity with the sight of the Creator seeming so blank and disconnected with the rest of the world as he held Falcone, he sighed. "Pharin, if he comes close enough to them or Gheb, distract 'im."

Pharin tweeted in confirmation.

"Good bird."

Across from them, Yuuki raised his gaze as most of the group stood, his gaze never once leaving them. "Are you through saying your goodbyes, humans?"

Lana's eyes darted up to glance at Yuuki before she turned her attention quickly back to Alex. He sounded cruel; he had, after all, just badly injured two innocent people for no reason.

"Welp," Jackel said as he stretched, "No sense puttin' off the big fight."

Jeliel cast a look down to Zira and Lana, silently noting their distance from the monster. He had to be careful to cast his spells a safe distance away from them or he could do them more harm than good at this point. Especially when it came to their two injured companions.

Yuuki didn't give them a chance to strike first; he rushed forward with his sword, slashing it down at the person closest to him. Shujiri quickly shoved the sword-wielder back as he blocked the strike with his katars. His strength was backed by Sahari's, and once Yuuki was a safe distance away again, they jumped back together.

A smirk appeared on the human-esque monster's face at this. "Worthy opponents, to be sure, but you shall still taste my blade!"

"_Meteor Assault_!"

"_Soul Breaker_!"

"_Thunder Storm_!"

"_Bull's Eye_!"

"_Double Strafing_!"

The first attack missed, the second and third landed perfectly, and the last two missed. Yuuki was faster than Shujiri remembered...

"This ain't workin' so good, boy!" Jackel called to the male Assassin. "He's too fast! I cain't hit 'im!"

Glancing up for a moment, Zira frowned. For some reason he had reservations about attacking the creature himself. However, if they didn't do something, everyone would just be in more danger than necessary. With a sigh, the blonde male cast a quick set of Increase Agility over everyone and used Decrease Agility on the rurouni, then went back to work on Falcone again.

"Great conditions we have to work under." Lana sighed, only half-joking. She finished with the last of the main dangers Alex faced and moved to help her fellow healer.

"That's what you sign up for with these guys." Zira replied dryly.

"_Double-_ crap! I'm out of arrows!" Dmitri shouted to Shujiri.

"Then switch to your saved spell! If you've gotta get in close, Jackel and Jeliel will keep you covered!" Shujiri shouted back, dodging a swipe of Yuuki's sword.

Seeing an opening, Sahari Cloaked herself and snuck up behind the rurouni, grinning to herself when Yuuki seemed to lose track of her. _Great!_ she thought, _Guess that means you're no demon then..._

She quickly shifted from Cloaked to Hiding, preparing to use one of her favourite attacks on him. "_Grimtooth_!"

As soon as the first sound had left her lips, however, Yuuki spun in place so his dark eyes were trained on the place she stood. He may not have been able to see her, but his senses were honed and sharp and that allowed him to pick up on the softest of sounds she made. The spikes from her skill lurched up from the ground and passed by him as he quickly began winding his way around them towards her. One after the other he dodged them, his speed assisting him in narrowly avoiding injury within mere millimeters of each spike's uprising.

Frantic to stop his advances, Dmitri used his agility and the boost Zira had given him and bolted forward until he was step for step beside him. He silently thanked whoever of the gods was listening for his increasing understanding of his occupation.

Yuuki's eyes zeroed in on him within an instant and he jumped out of the way of another spike, turned, and swung his sword at the horned Stalker. "_Spiral Pierce_!"

Green eyes narrowed calculatingly as Sahari screamed at the sudden change of focus. He leaned forward just enough to where the incoming attack would miss his torso and hit his arm instead. When the blade pierced his shoulder and spun he bit back the scream of agony that tried to come out. Instead, he focused on waiting the pain out and, as soon as the sword was withdrawn, he staggered back a few paces, his good hand clutching the gushing wound.

Dmitri saw Lana preparing to cast Heal over him and quickly did what he had set out to sacrifice a limb for. "_Preserve_!"

Yuuki landed a distance away and flicked the fresh blood off of his blade. As Lana Healed the man across from him, he smirked. "Clever boy, you are..." he whispered softly, his eyes narrowed in evaluation.

He didn't have time to come to an overall conclusion. Jeliel's voice shouted, "Now, Jackel! He got what he went in for!"

Jackel shot off a round of Piercing Shot at the monster and the High Wizard cast Storm Gust immediately after.

Shujiri swept in and yanked Sahari out of the line of fire before throwing in a few Soul Breakers of his own.

Chuckling, Dmitri flexed his newly healed arm and drew one of the daggers from their sheaths along his arms. He glanced to the Assassin Cross for the go-ahead and, upon receiving it, zipped his way in towards the monster. He was surprised to get in so close before his opponent realized his closeness and was forced to leap away, but he just followed it step for step until he felt he was close enough again. Thrusting the dagger out, he shouted, "Payback's a bitch, ain't it? _Spiral Pierce_!"

Yuuki's eyes grew wider so slightly that it took a very trained eye to notice the surprise he displayed, but rather than allow the attack to land, he quickly ducked beneath the man's arm and slammed the hilt of his sword into the Stalker's abdomen. The force behind the blow winded the light-green-haired man, and the strength behind the push of it flung him back a good ten feet until he was on his backside skipping to a stop near Jackel and Jeliel.

Aggravated, Shujiri cursed to himself as he ran to check on his comrade. "Keep going! Don't let him get that close to any of you again!" he commanded.

They followed his orders and Sahari started in with a few rounds of Soul Breaker as Lana and Zira finally stood. They tugged Shujiri aside and Lana said, "We have good news and we have bad news."

Shujiri asked, "What's the bad news?"

"We still can't move them for a few minutes while their bodies adjust to the healing we did. And...I don't think we could force Ghebriel to move right now if we put wheels on his feet and tried to shove him away."

"Then what's the good news?"

Zira rolled his eyes and swatted the killer's head gently. "You're pregnant." he groaned. "What do you think it is, dummy - Falcone and Alex are going to be fine. We just can't get out of here yet, like she said."

"So we're stuck here fightin' that thing for-"

"-At least another five, maybe ten minutes. We-"

"_Magnum Break_!"

The trio were shoved apart with the force of the blow; Shujiri skidded to a stop close to Jeliel, Lana was sent tumbling into Ghebriel, and Zira fell back a few yards away into the corner of the shrine. The impact, at such an unusual angle, cracked one of the delicate bones in his left wing as he tried to soften the landing with his hands. The right wrist sprained, and he dropped to the ground, winded, with a choked whimper of pain.

Automatically Yuuki's hard eyes darted towards the sound and he turned himself to face the one who had just become the new easiest lone target. He kicked himself off towards the injured Priest, sword drawn and ready to attack.

Panic rose in everyone's minds as they took in what had just happened. Sahari and Shujiri weren't close enough to close the distance in the rapidly dwindling time they had to do so, and Dmitri still only had his daggers and sword to rely on for now. Besides that, he was still thrown from the unexpected blow. Even with his speed he couldn't cover that distance in time. Jackel's view had been obscured by the sudden explosion of movement, but now that he _could _see again, Yuuki was moving too fast for even him to hit. Jeliel's spells couldn't cast from so far away and still hit the intended target; even if they could, he knew Yuuki would just be out of the way before it could damage him. Lana was helpless to do anything but watch in horror, and as her impact with Ghebriel had cracked his head into the floor and temporarily stunned him, he and Alex and Falcone would be of no use to help.

None of them had any choice but to watch in what seemed like slow motion as Rurouni Yuuki advanced those last few paces. He extended his sword, his aim directly at the blonde's throat.

Knowing he had no time to Teleport away and that his damaged wings wouldn't allow him to fly out of reach, Zira squeezed his eyes shut and, ignoring the cinch of pain in his wrist, clasped his hands together for a very brief prayer. _Guess this is it..._

Moments passed. Then minutes. Then a few minutes.

Nothing happened.

Confused, the blue-eyed man slowly opened his eyes. When he did, he was met with the sight of Yuuki's sharp sword's point barely an inch away from his neck. He carefully sucked in a deep breath, mindful of the razor-sharp steel still dangerously close to his skin. Ever so slowly he raked his eyes up the sword's length, taking in every detail along the way, until they locked onto the samurai's wide, startled black orbs.

"Wh-" Zira began nervously. "What just-"

Then, in a flash, Yuuki did something that surprised everyone. He dropped to the ground, bowing on one knee, and thrust the point of his sword into the wooden floor. He bowed his head between his arms. Eyes closed, he said only one thing: "My deepest apologies, Master!"

That's when it suddenly hit Shujiri that he knew what had happened. "He remembers..."**  
To Be Continued..**


	35. An Explanation

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **So far we've made it to Amatsu and Yuuki's fight is just about over. I don't feel like picking out a theme song for this so let's go with TeMPlatonic, from (if I remember right) the dic_fild area. I tried to make this as simple as possible and keep it as in-character for everyone as I was able to, but dangit it's hard writing other people's characters without them. -_-**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-One: An Explanation  
**Everyone turned their attention towards Shujiri, doubt or confusion etched out onto each face.

"What?" Dmitri mumbled, pushing himself up to his feet slowly. Jackel re-holstered his guns and helped steady the uneasy man.

Shujiri gave a brief look to the others, then turned his attention back to Yuuki and Zira. "Void...He remembers it."

He took a brave step forward, testing the waters. When he wasn't attacked, and indeed the rurouni had yet to even raise his head again, he smiled briefly and strode the rest of the way over to Zira. Kneeling down beside him, he gingerly took the blonde's right hand and checked his wrist. Once he was done there he put an arm around his waist and pulled him forward to check the injured wing.

Once finished, he frowned and called back over his shoulder, "Lady Lana, if ye would, c'mere please. He's gonna need help with mending his wing, but after the shock from the pain of that is soothed, I think he can take care of the rest himself."

Lana's bright eyes warily watched the monster as she drew near. "What does he remember, exactly?" she asked in a soft voice. "Why did he just stop attacking so suddenly?"

When the woman was supporting his silent friend's weight against her chest to begin work on his wing, Shujiri stood and moved over to stand, diagonally, across from Yuuki. "Ye don't have to stay bowed down like that." he said gently. "I'm sure he doesn't care if ye stand back up. Right, Zee?"

With that, Yuuki glanced up, surprised, at him. He followed his gaze across to Zira, where he saw the blonde man watching him closely. The look in his eyes was slightly calculating, as if he were trying to work out a puzzle visually. The fear from before had completely vanished.

Tentatively, Yuuki tilted his head a bit to the side. "Master?"

Zira blinked and shook his head to clear away the fog of memories. When he looked back to Yuuki again, he gave a soft smile.

Yuuki returned the smile and was on his feet in a moment, as graceful as he had been when attacking. Just as quickly, he was by the man's side, kneeling once again. "Master, can you stand?"

Jeliel shook his head, his brows furrowed. "Okay, so wait. Someone explain this to me again. What happened just now?"

Jackel scratched the back of his head uncertainly, a look of confusion that matched Jeliel's on his face. "I ain't sure m'self, truth be told."

Shujiri turned to the group again while Lana finished with Zira's wing. "I think we can safely say the fight is over now. I don't think we'll find the people we're looking for here now; we should find a place to crash for the night and then ask around in the morning. I'll explain things better once we get to Gheb and Falcone's place." Again he looked back to Lana. "Can they be moved now?"

She nodded, smiling. "It should be safe now. Even Zira's all ready to go; he'll just have to stay off his wings for a while."

Nodding in approval at the news, Shujiri moved over to Alex and carefully hoisted him up. He was about to reach down and take Falcone as well, but Ghebriel placed a hand over his to stop him and quietly shook his head. He gave the Creator a warm, understanding smile and backed away.

When Ghebriel had the redhead in his arms, the Assassin went back to where they had come from. Yelling up to Tyr, he called, "Go with the Miyabi Doll back the way we came; we'll meet you back in town."

Tyr yipped his agreement and the two monsters took off.

Shujiri made his way back to the others and, looking to Lana and Zira, said, "Portal, please?"

Lana smiled brightly and clapped her hands together. "_Warp Portal - _**to Amatsu**!"

Everyone stepped into the portal that appeared on the floor before the Priestess, and the familiar feeling of having the world sucked out from under them and then shoved back at them all at once took over.

When the friends looked around again, they were in the center of the beautiful oriental town.

"Welcome back." the Kafra girl smiled and said, bowing. "I believe someone was waiting for you."

From behind her, out stepped Sarta. His pet was at his heels gazing around silently and he held Tyr in his arms.

"I think this thing is yours." Sarta snorted in amusement as it immediately began struggling for freedom upon seeing its master. "You-" he stopped, eyes wide as he spotted Yuuki. "What is that thing?"

Shujiri glanced back to the rurouni, then shrugged. "Zira's new pet...Sort of. It's a very long story. But...I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember back at the shrine, that you mentioned your 'fruit cocktail pal' who sells stuff?"

Sarta's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Yeah?"

"Wouldn't happen to go by the name of Rine,would he?"

Almost instantly, Sarta's eyes hardened. Shujiri watched the man's strong, proud, but relatively relaxed stance transform into the pose of someone trying to guard a secret - something or someone that wasn't meant to be stumbled upon, but had been. The long-haired Assassin practically dropped Tyr to the ground to cross his arms, trying to appear nonchalant.

"What would it matter what his name is? I've never seen you around before; he wouldn't know you."

"Actually, that's a long story, too; he does, but it's from another life. He-"

Sarta's katars were at Shujiri's neck in an instant. His eyes flashed dangerously, and his tone was hushed and warning. "You need to just forget what you think you knew, stop digging around, and stay away from us from now on. You got it?"

Shujiri arched a brow at the sudden defensive attitude. He'd never seen anyone get so worked up over asking about the colourful Mastersmith before; he was curious as to what made the friendly man suddenly become so guarded about him.

After the initial shock of the sudden change in atmosphere wore off, Zira's scythe made its way up to Sarta's throat and rested its blade there slightly. "I hope you don't mean to threaten us." the blonde said simply.

Shaking his head, Shujiri lowered both weapons and put in, "What did ye mean by 'stop digging around'? We have to find him; lives - thousands of them - are at stake."

"He gave up his life for the assistance he got; that's all you need to know. Whoever he was and who he is now isn't any of your business; you'll just bring up things he's better off not moping around about, and I'm not about to just let you do that."

Sarta's pet timidly raised her hand and dropped it gently onto her master's shoulder. He turned to her and she gave him a worried look.

"Let's go." Sarta said shortly. Taking her hand, he shouted, "**To Gonryun**!"

Before Shujiri could ask anything further, the two were gone. He sighed and turned to Ghebriel. "Would ye mind leading us to your place?"

Pharin, who had been silent up to now, asked wearily, "Shouldn't we go after him? He knows our fairy."

The group leader shook his head. "No; we won't get any answers out of him and we still need to find out about the two that we came here looking for in the first place."

"Come on, then." sighed Ghebriel softly. "We can stay at the house Falcone and I shared for the night and sort things out. It's getting late."

The friends set off after him, Pharin occasionally calling out directions around obstacles when the lilac-blue-clad 'Chemist seemed wobbly from his still-recovering vision. Ultimately he was forced to give his partner to Jackel and let Sahari help him navigate.

It wasn't long before they arrived and Ghebriel opened the door, holding it open for the others to go in. Along the way, Alex and Falcone had woken up and were both anxiously waiting to hear what had happened.

Once the Biochemist was inside, he closed the door behind him and made off to sit by the Professor dutifully.

Shujiri started. "Ye all want the details, aye?"

Everyone nodded.

"To put it simply, it's like this. On Void, Zira and I went to the shrine here a few times by ourselves to find things we needed to make a powerful dagger for me. During one of our trips, Yuuki attacked us. We barely made it out with our lives, but we were badly hurt. One of our mutual friends took us to a healing facility where we were nursed back to health, but we knew that the shrine was a popular spot for tourists to visit. We knew we had to go back and find out more about the...no offense," he looked at Yuuki sheepishly at this, "Monster."

Yuuki simply nodded his understanding, and Shujiri continued.

"This time, we went for information. We wanted to find out more about the monster and why it felt so compelled to attack us unprovoked. But he was fast, strong, and his senses were sharp - sharper than _mine_. He found us and attacked again. We realized fighting back wouldn't work, so we focused on just trying to escape; we had to stay safe and watch for a moment when we could put our guard down enough to run for the door, warp, or Teleport."

With these words, Yuuki bowed his head in silence. The others thought it odd, all but for Shujiri and Zira, but Shujiri continued on.

"Zira used every buff in his arsenal and kept throwing Kyrie Eleison over us every few seconds, but every time Yuuki attacked us, he was so powerful that it went through the barriers like a hot knife through butter. I tried to buy us some time - I wove in through the blows and tried to throw him off with Sonic Blow, but he nearly got me. So, I Back Slid until I was almost back to Zira..and a Shinobi tripped me. I caught my balance, but there was just enough of a stagger for him to have a clean shot at me. The next thing I know, he was almost right on top of me and I thought I was going to be killed. I thought, I did the same mistake from my first life, and now it was going to get me killed again."

"What happened?" Alex inquired.

"Zira happened." Shujiri smiled at this. He looked to his side at the Priest and clapped a hand on his left shoulder, then said, "I was alone in my first life; I didn't have anyone to watch my back or care about me, but suddenly, in this life, I did. Zira dove to me, grabbed me, and threw me behind him. He was so concerned for my life that he was offering his."

Now it was the monster's turn to speak. Everyone's attention was on him, and he now held his head up high and proudly. His dark eyes were focused solely on the effeminate male as he spoke up. "A brave, selfless act for the sake of another. An honourable thing to do. The wonder and kindness of it broke through the haze my mind had been under and reminded me of why I had been summoned to protect the shrine - reminded me that not all visitors wished it harm. I vowed my loyalty to him as a way to thank him for freeing me of that darkness."

At the mentions of haze and darkness, Tyr and Pharin glanced to Shujiri, who was suddenly much more somber than before, and the two book worms had their notebooks out within mere moments.

"What's this about a haze?" Falcone inquired first.

Yuuki blinked, his eyes moving to Shujiri and Zira, who also seemed intrigued. "Ah..gomennasai. I have never spoken of it, have I?"

Shujiri and Zira shook their heads.

"I was summoned by the shrine's builders to protect it from harm. Those who would damage or steal from it were to be dealt with, and those who were of pure hearts were permitted to venture to its center. At first, all was well; I performed my tasks as I had been instructed and the numbers of those who would disobey the rules were few. But...After a time, I began to feel as if my mind were in a fog as I did my job. I became angry over any small infraction of the rules, resented those who came to intrude on the place I had begun to call my home - began to seek out a reason to dispatch of anyone who went there."

Tyr's eyes met Shujiri's and their earlier conversation about Garm and the Knight of the Windstorm flashed through their minds.

"Finally, I began to hear a dark voice telling me to do..things. It told me to kill everyone who entered, or seek revenge on those who had bound me by honour to spend all of my days within that shrine -

said that they dared to command a being so powerful as me to do their bidding. It was like a little voice; an evil whisper in the back of your mind. One that only grows stronger with the passage of time, until it is all that you are capable of comprehending. I felt compelled to act upon its orders. The same was true of my situation until today; I had forgotten all that I had learned of my master and his friends until today, when seeing him brought forth those memories and repelled the darkness once again. And again, I owe my freedom and loyalties to him."

Falcone raked his eyes over the notes he had just taken and compared them with his findings from other such instances. After a moment, he said softly, "This points to some very distressing possibilities."

Shujiri nodded, and stretched. "I think we should call it a night, though...We've all had a very stressful time these past few days, and we should try to rest up a bit before we continue with this beast of a topic." He glanced to Sahari, who was close to falling asleep as she leaned against Dmitri. "Any disagreement?"

Jackel yawned and then said, "Ain't gonna hear no complaints outta me. Jes' one question: what 'bout them two we came here fer? Ain't their trail gonna git cold?"

"We'll just have to ask around town if anyone's seen Xabel and Chrnos tomorrow."

"Ah..." Yuuki broke through, smiling. "I believe I know who you seek."

"Ye do?"

"Hai. The day before you arrived to the shrine, a loud noise drew me to the place where two humans had just fallen through the cave and crashed to the floor. I studied them for a few moments to size up their intentions, and after a time, the smaller, blonde man, a Clown, said something to his friend - something about _me_."

"Must have been one of those visions the king told us about." Alex mumbled.

"Then he started attacking the other man suddenly, using his instrument as a weapon. He seemed to think himself an Assassin."

"Yep." Jackel confirmed. "One'a them visions."

"Just before I began my attack, he collapsed. When he got back up and his companion questioned him, he didn't remember anything. Then, as they realized they could not defeat me, the one with the Peco Peco grabbed him as they ran and pulled him up onto it with him. They said something about the old abbey on the nameless island as they ran out."

"Then we're going to the abbey?" Lana inquired.

"We can't!" Zira exclaimed, jolting Sahari out of her sleep and startling Tyr "Not there - never there!"

"Why not?" asked Jeliel.

Shujiri stared at the flushed Priest for a moment and then burst into laughter. "Ye still don't fit your place!" he cackled.

Zira huffed, puffing up in indignation. "I can't help it if I'm afraid of something!"

"Aw, heck," Jackel laughed, slapping him on the back, "We all got somethin' we're 'fraid of!"

"No, no!" Shujiri insisted, his laughter becoming harder and louder. "Not- not like this!"

"What fer?"

Zira glared darkly. "Don't you dare."

Pharin tweeted. "If you mean storms, even I knew that one already."

Again, Shujiri shook his head. "He's terrified of Zombies!"

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"He's...afraid of Zombies." Sahari repeated.

"And he's a...Priest." confirmed Jeliel.

"...And Heal will _kill_ them." Lana added.

"...And as a Priest, he _can_ use Heal." Dmitri concluded.

More silence, save for Shujiri's snickering.

Yuuki, though he had the grace to look a bit ashamed for it, was the first to join the Assassin Cross in his renewed laughter, Then, one by one, the others began to join in.

Zira crossed his arms over his chest, glaring daggers at the male Assassin Cross. "Even knowing that you still used it against me once!"

Shujiri fell over, his laughter becoming almost too much to handle. Finally, he sat back up and wiped a tear from his eye. "Ye still haven't forgotten or forgiven me for that, eh?" He laughed again, patting Zira on the shoulder gently. "It was all in good fun; the disguise ring was a new toy and ye know I love to tease ye!"

Aggravated, Zira practically _growled._ "You _dressed up like a Zombie_ and _chased me around one of the fields in Veins_ that way for _ten minutes_!"

"I can't help it if ye forgot you could Teleport!"

Snorting, Zira jumped up and stormed over to the bedding that, although the house had been deserted, had still been sitting there waiting for use. "Screw all of you!" he huffed, blushing darker as the telling of the tale only served to raise the volume of everyone's laughter. "I'm going to bed!"

Still laughing, the others made their way to the beds as well.

Through the night, Shujiri tossed restlessly and occasionally glanced to his two formerly-injured companions, his mind still on what Yuuki had revealed to them, and Ghebriel clung tightly to the Scholar. Eventually Shujiri calmed his mind enough to fall join the others in slumber. They would need to sleep well tonight, after all; tomorrow, their trip would begin again.**  
To Be Continued..**


	36. A Message From the Dark

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **I find it to be a point worth noting that I want to remind you all again of just how many creative liberties I've taken with the world of Rune-Midgard in Ragnarok Online. /swt Please bear with me while I try to work out the kinks in the plan as we get..apparently,..further and further from the ending...die I've delayed typing this up for a while now, just because it seems so forced from where I had first started to write it while at work between customers. Well, we still need a theme for this so we'll try and stick to TeMPoison, which plays..eh..in one of the fields leading to the orc dungeon. xD; I'll look it up later, I'm too lazy right now.**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Two: A Message From the Dark  
**_The first thing Yuuki noticed when he opened his eyes was how dark it was. The next was the fact that his master and his friends were nowhere to be found. It was silent and nothing seemed even remotely familiar to him._

_All around, a strange, red mist hovered about him and it made his vision blurry, as though he were walking through smoke. Rather than burning his longs when he inhaled, however, it had a slightly sweet smell - one that reminded him of a unique blend of spices. The scent was almost intoxicating in a way._

_The rurouni glanced around, trying to get his bearings on his location. A few minutes passed by and he was still unable to place any certain features against ones he remembered. He was beginning to get frustrated and a sense of anxious unease was in the process of setting in.  
_

_As he took a last look around, he heard a soft, almost alluring giggle come from behind him a ways off. Yuuki turned and ran towards it, recognizing the sound from somewhere, although he wasn't quite sure where. After a few feet he still didn't see the source of the laughter but he certainly did feel as though he were no longer alone._

_Before he could call out, a dark, booming, sinister laugh echoed around him. It seemed to be coming from everywhere, and yet nowhere, at the same time. His feeling of disquiet intensified._

_All of his instincts for self-preservation, the ones that rarely came to the front as strongly and powerfully as they were now, were screaming at him to run - to get away from whatever was happening as fast as possible. In stark contrast to this, however, his innate set of codes and warrior's spirit still demanded that he stand his ground and fight off whatever was threatening him. He had never run from an opponent before, and by the gods, he was _not_ about to start now!_

_Yuuki had no time to further contemplate his options; he felt his blood run cold and freeze in his veins as sharp as jagged shards of glass when a voice that was all too familiar spoke to him. It sounded dark and dangerous to be as soft as it was, and it was barely at the level of a single whisper - but it was one he could hear in his mind as clearly as if it were speaking to his thoughts._

_"You cannot escape me forever." the voice said. It seemed to be deeply ingrained in Yuuki's brain - every bit as much as his own voice. It was such a quiet sound, but its presence was so strong and undeniable that he could almost physically feel it plodding through his mind as it spoke._

_There was silence for a few moments and Yuuki took this as the opportunity to seek answers to the questions he held about his situation. "Hello?" he called out. "I know you are here! Where, and who, are you?"_

_The voice grew a bit stronger this time so that it spoke in a normal tone, though it sounded amused and mocking. "You foolish creature; you seek to find your peace in a human? In a weakling Priest, of all people?"_

_The demi-human's dark eyes widened at these words. Whoever this was, they knew him and they knew his master. This simple revelation seemed only to put him ever more on edge as he looked around warily. "What do you know of my master?" he called out, sword drawn and at the ready._

_Whoever owned the voice laughed again, and when it spoke again, this time it sounded as if it were out loud rather than in his head. "I know more than you could possibly imagine. I know that they have failed. I know that they _will_ fail." The volume went up at this. "They will _always _fail! None can be more powerful than I - I am the very embodiment of Evil itself!"_

_Yuuki took in all the voice said, his eyes growing wider and his colour draining with each new word. He knew this voice - knew of the unspeakable, undeniable power its owner possessed. He even knew the feeling that was beginning to lace itself into the sword wielder's very being as he stood there; it was the same feeling he had been overcome by in the shrine - the one Zira and the others had freed him from not too long ago._

_Now up to a thunderous level, the voice continued to assault his mind and body, and he was starting to become truly frightened. Not for himself, although certainly, he had no desire to sink below the waves of darkness that lapped at him again. No, he was afraid for those he now had aligned himself with. He knew the kindhearted blonde man had saved him a couple of times already, but he wasn't sure how long that would be the case - didn't know if it would happen again before he really did kill one of them again. He feared for the safety of those whose mission it was to save Rune-Midgard from the very darkness he now faced._

_"You, Tyr, and all others like you- even the gods, themselves! -will have no choice but to bow before me! You are nothing but my lowly follower! You may fight all you wish, but that is all you have ever been, and it is all you will ever be, Yuuki!"_

"Yuuki! Yuuki!"

The voice broke through the haze the rurouni was in and suddenly all of the tension and pent up energy within his body exploded outward towards the entity calling out his name in a near-frantic attempt to silence it.

In answer to the dark-haired monster's movement was only a shuddered, choked gasp that was followed by a clipped outcry of surprise and pain.

_Wait..._

Yuuki's eyes opened and he saw Zira, unharmed, kneeling over the form of a male on the ground. He was shaking slightly, but he was fine otherwise. So, too, were Jackel, Dmitri, and Sahari, who were gathered around the blonde. Falcone, however, was visibly panicked as he shakily dropped to the floor across from Zira. He seemed as if he wanted to scream, but his voice wasn't coming out. When he reached out for whoever was hurt, Shujiri, who had burst through the door and with wide eyes ran in with Lana and Alex and Jeliel at his heels, latched onto him and pulled him back away from the small crowd to let the Priest have space to work in.

Confused, Yuuki looked down to Tyr, who sat at his side with his ears and tail down. His gaze drifted to the floor and there, covered almost to the hilt with fresh blood, was his sword. It lay discarded, as though dropped carelessly, in a small pool of crimson. That was when he noticed that one person from the group seemed to be missing, and a terrible sense of utter, dreadful understanding overtook him.

Yuuki stood nervously to his feet and stepped forward a couple of paces. He needed to be certain that what he feared was what had actually happened first, and he had to make sure they understood it wasn't by way of his personal intentions that it had occurred, if so. He cleared his throat and asked, his voice more timid than he had ever remembered hearing or would have liked t have heard now, "I am sorry, but..what happened?"

Falcone, who he remembered to be calm and pleasant, fixed him with a threatening glare and practically _growled_ at him when he got close, and had Shujiri not been restraining him, the rurouni wasn't so sure he wouldn't have attacked him.

Tightening his hold on Falcone, Shujiri's grim expression seemed to speak without words. He nodded down towards Ghebriel, who lay pale and motionless, at everyone's feet. A wound to the stomach- one that looked to have been caused by a sword -oozed blood that covered his master's hands as he worked to Heal him.

Seconds became minutes, and there didn't seem to be too much of a change one way or the other. Then, at last, Zira's elven ears picked up the slightest sound of breathing from the Creator. Encouraged by this sign of hope, he pumped more healing energy into the slender male below him until he could feel the flow of his natural energies and life force stabilize. He moved back and, upon being released by Shujiri, Falcone quickly dropped to Ghebriel's side where he pulled the man into his arms to hold him.

With their friend out of danger, everyone turned their attention to Yuuki. Shujiri was the first to speak. "I sent Gheb in to get Zira; we were having a meeting outside to determine if we should wait till first light to leave or go now." he supplied. His blue eyes met the still-unconscious form of Ghebriel and he added, "Guess this answers that question."

After giving Yuuki a moment to process this, Alex put in, "Ghebriel was going to get Zira but you looked like you were suffering, so he went to try to wake you. When he did, you drew that sword and got him with it."

Yuuki frowned. "Kuso.." he murmured, looking down to the Scholar and his boyfriend. "He was right.."

These words caught Zira and Shujiri's attention. They exchanged looks of concern and suspicion, then Zira slowly approached Yuuki and asked, "Who was right? And about what?"

Yuuki looked into his master's stunning cerulean-blue eyes in silence for a moment. Should he tell them about his dream? It might alarm them and frighten them, but on the other hand it held a message he felt they should be informed of. However badly they may react, he thought, they should still be told so that they could be prepared in the event of his or Tyr's loss of control.

Sitting back down, Yuuki began to tell the group of his dream and what had happened in it. As he spoke, a solemn feeling broke over everyone at his words. Their situation- and that of all monster pet owners in Rune-Midgard -had just become much more dangerous, what with two ticking time bombs now in the group as well.

When the information exchange came to an end, Zira and Shujiri chanced a look at Ghebriel and Jeliel. One had already met his end at the hands of Yuuki in a previous life and the other had very narrowly dodged that very same bullet earlier. Now that they knew not only what caused it, but that it could be sparked again by little more than the nudging of Satan Morroc's evil influence, they were concerned that their pets could further endanger their lives and the lives of those around them in the not-too-distant future.

Yuuki stared, forlorn, at his master. "Zira-sama," he began, his attention shifting to Falcone once again, "I am very sorry. I did not know I was acting in reality; I didn't mean-"

Falcone exhaled the breath he had been holding wearily and shook his head. "No, Yuuki, it's..it's- not fine, because if Zira hadn't been here or Lady Lana on standby in his place, Ghebriel would have been taken from me again, but...I do understand. It wasn't your intention to harm him. The dance between life's sense of humour and death's bitter romance, at its finest, I suppose..."

Yuuki turned to face his owner once again. "Zira-sama, please, from here on, before you go to sleep, return me to my egg form as well. I never want to put any of you at a risk such as that ever again."

The blonde High Priest nodded. "Understood. Now, in retrospect, maybe I should have thought to do that at first. This wouldn't have happened if-"

Shujiri cut the man off, saying, "There's no sense in blaming anyone- each other or ourselves -for accidents. It's in the past, now, and we can count it as a lesson learned. Aye?"

The others nodded their agreement to the leader's words. Eventually Falcone slipped his glasses off and pressed his lips to the Chemist's forehead. "How long until he should regain consciousness?" he asked once he pulled back, his eyes still trained on him.

Zira's cerulean gaze rested on the Creator as he studied the place the wound had been. The damage was repaired and all that remained as evidence of its presence were the deep red stains on his clothes and the gash through his shirt and cloak. The closer he looked, the better he could see the flow of his energies as they began to catch up to the newly patched up state of his physical body. He studied these things carefully and then, after a few moments, replied, "It shouldn't be long; he's fully recovered as far as that's concerned, so all that's left for him to do now is regain the energy that losing and suddenly regaining so much blood at once has drained from him."

Falcone nodded his gratitude, flashing the healer a grateful smile. He nudged his glasses a bit further away and, uncaring of the presence and attention of his comrades, slipped down to lay next to his boyfriend. He repositioned the two of them so that he was curled protectively around the light-eyed male and, with a last, thankful smile to the others, closed his eyes to rest while he waited.

The others moved to give the couple a bit of space.

Shujiri sighed. What Yuuki had told them was gnawing at his brain. It was a matter that would require close consideration, but for the moment, they would just have to keep an eye on the two monster convertees.

For now, however, they would have to wait for Ghebriel to wake up before they could fully plan their next moves. Hopefully they weren't too far behind their mysterious, dark enemies...**  
To Be Continued..**


	37. The Stuff of Nightmares?

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **I'm in so much pain from this cold/sinus infection/virus-that-attacks-the-sinuses combination that I had to call in sick from work, so guess what I'm doing to relax in my unintentional (and unwanted; I like my boss so I hate having to call in even if I do hate my job) gain of spare time? Yep, another chapter. Sorry for the last one; it got a little rough there, but if I'm ever going to get the characters to progress through their memories I have to put in things to trigger them. Mwhahaha. *cough hack*...Anyway, *mops up the blood*, the theme for this chapter. Uhm. "Wind of Tragedy" by SoundTeMP, out of the RWC maps...wtfe...Just go with it I guess... /swt**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three: The Stuff of Nightmares?  
**Closer to morning, the thing that first registered to Ghebriel as his mind began to stir was that there was an annoying overture of birds outside. However, none of them sounded like _his_ feathered friend, and although admittedly Pharin didn't make a habit of chirping at the light of day as normal birds did (thank the gods, even though Ghebriel was typically up relatively early he still didn't need the alarm clock) he _did_ like to inform his master of the time and that, yes, he was hungry and that, damnit, it was feeding time. He found the lack of this rather strange.

He noted how bright out it was through his eyelids, suggesting that it was already approaching noon. Okay, scratch the morning thing. He had a habit from youth that compelled him to want to be up early to get things done, and since he'd gone to bed fairly early last night, he felt as though he should have been up long before now. Regardless, he felt both rested and drained at the same time - a fact that further confounded him.

After trying, and failing, to derive an answer to the cause of the unusual scenario, Ghebriel decided that sleeping a bit longer would be alright; no one had woken him up yet, so they must not mind, right? Besides that, he felt warm and comfortable; he didn't like the idea of giving that up yet.

The 'Chemist eventually summoned the energy to Call for Pharin, who he decided he must have Rested before bed in order to have gotten away with sleeping uninterrupted as he had. He would just make sure everyone was alright with it before he went back to sleep. "_Resurrect Homunculus.._"

"Ah, you're awake, my love!"

The sound of another voice so close to his ear startled Ghebriel, bringing him to full alertness. He recognized it, and opening his one good eye, he found himself face to face with Falcone.

His still-temporarily damaged eye widened when its twin did regardless of the pain it sparked. The fear and panic he had felt for a while had been starting to fade, but quickly they returned and clasped him in their grip as a terrifying image filled his mind.

_A sky as dark as twilight.._

_A haze of red fog and windblown sands swirling around.._

_Meeting Falcone's eyes from a few feet away..Uncharacteristically dark, ill-intent churning in the pools of crimson.._

_The very ground beneath his feet quaking with the force of a spell.._

_Intense, blinding pain that shot from seemingly everywhere in his body all at once.._

_Complete, utter blackness..._

Thrusting his arms out, Ghebriel quickly distanced himself from the red-clad Professor by pushing him away. With a cry of fright he pushed himself to his feet and ran across the oriental-style home until he was blocked by Zira, who had run in to see what had happened. When the impact proved the blonde to be a strong enough force to not be moved away, Ghebriel simply latched onto the man, shaking as he tightened his grip.

Startled by the sudden iron grip around his waist, Zira passed a confused look to Falcone, whose expression quickly morphed into one of sorrow and understanding. It was clear that he didn't know what had sparked it, but he had a suspicion that the Creator's fear of him had returned again. That became clear to the blue-eyed High Priest as well. And what a pity, too; after all the progress Falcone and Ghebriel had made so far, they'd thought that perhaps he was becoming more at ease with him...

Pharin, finally fully regenerated after his death caused by his master's encounter with the grim horseman as well from the previous night and now hovering close to Ghebriel, didn't know what was going on exactly, but all he needed to see to jump into action was his master's overwhelming terror for the bespectacled man. He launched himself at the intellectual, unleashing a hail of pecks anywhere he could reach. "What did you do to the blockhead, feather brain?" he tweeted angrily between attacks.

Zira was torn between consoling the visibly frightened and upset Ghebriel or trying to help fend Pharin off. In the end he was spared the decision when Shujiri, hearing the commotion, hurried in to see what was happening.

The Assassin Cross took a look between Zira, who had settled for placing his arms reassuringly around Ghebriel as he began sobbing, to the homunculus and the redhead. He was somewhat shocked ad the sudden, unprovoked development, but as he remembered the night's events, it wasn't quite so surprising, after all. Given the similarity to the past, perhaps he should have even seen it coming...

Regardless, Shujiri sighed and asked, "What happened?"

Zira shook his head and Ghebriel only nuzzled his face deeper into his uniform. "I ran in to check on them but as soon as I got here, Ghebriel grabbed onto me and Pharin started to attack Falcone."

Shujiri sighed again. His eyes were serious when he met the other man's as Pharin finally calmed down when he realized what Shujiri had. "I think Mommy and Daddy need to have a serious talk before we go anywhere, Zee."

Halfheartedly, Zira scowled at the nickname before he slowly released Ghebriel and passed him to Lana and Jackel, who had also made their way to the house as quickly as possible after hearing the scream. He followed Shujiri outside and away a small distance until the taller man stopped under a tree and turned around to face him.

They studied each other for a few moments before Shujiri finally spoke. "You're good with people, aye? Reading 'em, I mean."

Though surprised by the inquiry, Zira nodded uncertainly. "I- I suppose I've been told that. Why?"

"I'll leave it up to you whether or not we should go ahead and tell them what I'm about to tell you then. At this rate, with that strong a reaction, Ghebriel and Falcone are going to throw us behind and we can't afford that; we're playin' a dangerous enough game of roulette as it is. But we can't leave them behind, either; we need them too much. So you decide if they're ready to hear this or if we should bear with them a little more and wait a bit. But...Here it is."

Zira nodded to show he understood so far. "Go ahead."

"Ghebriel's feeling of fear towards Falcone stems from our last life together in the big fight with Satan Morroc. You were just about to be killed so you wouldn't have seen it, but Ghebriel had been guarding the edges of the fight and tossing in potions to help us while ushering townspeople away from it to safety. During one of his trips, an Incarnation of Morroc ambushed him."

Zira felt his heart sink, knowing this couldn't end well..

"You know how much Falcone loves him and how protective of him he can get. He saw the ambush and tried to keep it away from Ghebriel, but he used Heaven's Drive and cast it too close. He killed the monster, but Gheb lost his balance in the shaking it caused in the ground. He fell on the spikes and..."

When Shujiri paused, Zira started to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he allowed the man to continue.

Shujiri flinched as he scowled at the memory. "I don't know who screamed louder - Falcone or Ghebriel. He ran over to him as the spikes lowered and grabbed him to hold him and check the damage, but it was just too bad. Ghebriel died in his arms, and when he realized he'd lost him and especially that it was his fault, he just..shut down. He didn't move, he didn't speak, he stopped functioning and completely drew into himself. He didn't even make much of a sound when the Paladin that killed you went over and ran him through. All he did was flinch, smile at him, and collapse over Ghebriel."

The Priest brought a hand to his mouth in a mix of horror and surprise. "Then when he starts to feel afraid of him, he-"

"He remembers the fear from what happened - from how he died, but not of Falcone specifically. He's just not remembering enough of that moment in time to be able to tell the difference."

"And you want me to decide when to tell them?"

"Aye. You tune into people's, uh, 'frequency' the best of anyone I know, so whenever ye decide it's time, then it's time. I wanted to wait until we had everyone together again, but this may not be able to wait that long."

Zira sighed, then nodded. "Alright. I'll think about it."

"Good." Shujiri slapped the blonde on the shoulder with a strained grin. "Then let's get back and tell everyone, for now, that we'll set off as soon as everything we need's in order."**  
To Be Continued..**


	38. HighFlying Trouble

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **Wow, I'm on a roll, huh? The third chapter in one night. Automatically I wanna get the song knocked out of the way; Curse'n Pain, from one of the Glastheim maps. Second, I just want to say one simple thing before we actually launch into the chapter. Pay attention to the mysterious stranger that appears in this one; you'll probably want to know him later, or at least will recognize him; he'll pop up again down the line somewhere.**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Four: High-Flying Trouble  
**"Everyone all packed up and ready to go, Mommy?" Shujiri asked Zira with a grin, his hands on his hips.

Zira answered him with a light punch to the arm before skulking off to stand beside Jeliel. The High Wizard snickered at this.

"Alright!" Falcone called out to everyone from Shujiri's side, a tired smile on his face. "Make certain you have everything you came with; once we leave, we would like not to have to return for a while for the sake of the mission!"

"Well put." Quietly, Shujiri whispered, "Ye got Gheb calm for now?"

Red eyes dropped to the ground as Falcone replied, "I haven't gotten near enough to him since earlier to try. Though, thankfully, Lana and Zira have had quite a calming effect on him. Even if he would let me close, I'm not so sure I would be able to bypass Pharin for long..."

Shujiri sighed. "Aye, he's a problem. He's just trying to protect his master, but...Look, for now, give Gheb some space. He probably just remembers something and needs time to comprehend it. I told Zira to keep an eye on him for ye and to tell me when he seems ready to let ye get back in there again. Capice?"

The Scholar nodded. "Thank you, Shujiri."

From behind them, Jackel and Sahari got their attention. The flamboyant gunman called out, "Hey, y'all! We're ready 'n' waitin' t'git a-goin' if y'all are!"

Sahari put in, "I just packed the last of the rations up into Alex's cart!"

Alex nodded his confirmation. "Add to that the potions and scrolls, and we should easily have enough to get us to the next town as well as through the abbey."

Grinning, Shujiri motioned towards the ship. "Then let's get going; the boat out of Amatsu is waitin'!"

Everyone loaded up onto the boat under their leader's watchful eye, some more anxiously than others, and they were off. The trip was smooth and relatively uneventful, save for the occasional argument between Zira and Jeliel over seating and the contest Dmitri, Shujiri, and Jackel had begun of who could kill Pharin the most, in how many ways, and how many insults he yelled at them for it.

Ghebriel was less than thrilled to discover the existence of such a contest, but by a third of the way into the voyage everyone but himself and Falcone had gotten involved somehow or other, so he simply resigned himself to reviving his feathered companion as many times as necessary. By his last count, Shujiri was just barely hanging onto the lead at twelve kills while Jackel and Sahari followed at a tie for second place with eleven. Dmitri had managed to catch the homunculus off guard five times, Zira four, and Lana, Alex, and Jeliel had even managed to assassinate the poor little blue homunculus a few times apiece.

By the time they reached the airship that would take them to Veins, the Biochemist was a bit on the grumpy side. He finally decided to leave Pharin 'dead' for a while, to give himself a break as much as to give Pharin one, and that effectively ended their impromptu sport. They dispersed across the air ship to find other things to occupy their time.

Zira settled for taking a seat near Jeliel and pulling Yuuki's egg from its sling across his back. The two inspected it quietly, and after a while, they came to a wordless mutual agreement that perhaps it would be best to leave him that way until they reached their destination.

Sahari had taken to wandering around awkwardly, asking the others (and some of the men and women running the air ship) for ideas on how to get someone's attention romantically. There really was no need for the secrecy she tried to employ; the only two people who as of yet remained oblivious to the man's identity were Ghebriel and Jackel, but she found it easier to talk about that way. It was embarrassing for her to act so much like a girl when she was, for the most part, such an avid tomboy!

Dmitri tired of Graffiti-ing the ship floors with art and Cleaning it quickly enough even with the cooing and fawning of the female staff members and had decided to prop himself against the railing beside Alex, who was listening to an exchange between Shujiri and Falcone. So far, they had gone over the details of what, exactly, their plans were for this journey and mapping out a rough time line of events by comparison to what Shujiri and Zira could remember of their last attempt.

Shujiri frowned and scratched his head. "I dunno how this fairs for our progress," he admitted, "but by now, we already had Rine in the group."

Falcone 'hmm'ed in thought, removing his glasses and covering his tired eyes with one hand. "Then we're running a bit behind. That storm and Yuuki, as well as the stint in Prontera, have held us back a bit."

Alex shook his head. "But we also had something else to do that was important." he put in. "If Chrnos really does know anything about those visions and if they really are related to things that have happened or will happened like King Gakudon mentioned, then we have to find him and talk to him about them. They could hold the key to some tips and openings we don't know about; from the sounds of it, he gets them from not only our side of things, but from the enemy's side, too."

Falcone nodded. "And that's a vital look into their thoughts and plans."

The Assassin Cross chuckled humourlessly. "One we could have used before, no less. But since we have it now, we just have to make the best of our time. I don't think the gods would have given someone we've never even met visions of the past unless we were meant to find him. Just like we'd never keep meeting up if we weren't so close in this together." He looked to the other three men at this. "We might be behind, but we have to do what we need to in order to make sure we defeat him for good this time. We can't afford to lose again; we've gotten stronger with every shot we've had, as well as more powerful. We're destined to win this - I just know it."

"Stronger..." Dmitri mused. "You mean like Jeliel freaking controlling the weather?"

Alex whistled a long note at this. Falcone glanced to the sky at the memory of the occasion as Shujiri's blue brows arched, his head tipping to the side and clearing his throat while one hand moved to his hip. "That...Yeah, that was definitely something. I knew he'd been capable of more than he'd shown so far this time around, but that wasn't what I had in mind, lemme tell ye."

Falcone nodded slightly, his gaze away from the harsh sun once again. "I would certainly like to know how he pulled that off."

"Me too." Dmitri agreed.

With another sigh, Shujiri shook his head. "Well, one thing's for sure. If we've gotten so many surprises out of just the people we know well and have now, we'll probably have a blast when we _do_ find Rine."

The four chuckled and resumed their earlier conversation on making plans, while at the other end of the flying ship, Jackel and Lady Lana were having an interesting conversation, themselves.

"So that's what that dream was about..." Lana frowned as she spoke, her striking blue eyes on the man beside her. "I hadn't really seen you bothered by much since we started traveling together. To be honest, it was a little scary to see you screaming and so frightened like that."

Jackel chuckled, although it was empty and halfhearted. She noted this, but he started to speak, so instead she turned her focus back onto his words. "Yep..." His cheeks flushed at the memory of that night in Izlude and how embarrassing it was to have been so open and rattled like that around people who weren't used to seeing that particular side of him. "Shucks, only person what ever saw that part'a me was Julie until that dern dream came up. 'S dern downright embarrassin'."

Lana gave him a warm smile as she cupped his hand gently to offer reassurance. "It was endearing. You come across as someone larger than life that nothing can tear down, but then something forced you to prove you're just as human and vulnerable as the rest of us are. We got to see the feelings you don't show very openly and it made us a little closer to you for it."

Jackel's wide eyes lifted from the scenery of the ground below the flying ship to lock onto hers and he felt a light blush coming on again.

Giggling, Lana pushed a bit of his hair out of his face so she could see his eyes unobscured by the dirty-blonde locks. "Jackel, there isn't anything wrong with showing the people around you what you're feeling. It's normal, and besides that, everyone has something that frightens them. That your specific thing is losing the people you love just makes you a good person with a beautiful spirit. No one in this group will ever fault you for it."

With a small smile of his own, Jackel fully turned to face her, resting his side against the railing. He studied her for a moment, then siad, "Y'know, y'kinda r'mind me'a her a little right now, missy. Julie, I mean."

Blinking, Lana flushed a bit. "Oh?"

"Yep. She only ever saw th' best in people. She was good with people 'n' always knew jes' what I needed t' hear to make me feel better. Nothin' could go wrong if she was 'round."

"That's very sweet. How much do you remember from that life...?"

Sighing, Jackel's brows furrowed. "I sure's Helheim r'member her. Her voice, her smile, the way she kept 'er hair, the sound'a her laugh...Only thing what I don't r'member's why she picked me when she could'a dern well picked anyone she wanted. Why, I even r'call how I found 'er the day she died, 'n' the eyes'a that varmint what killed 'er, too."

"Well, for what it's worth, I think she was very lucky to have someone to love her like you did with as much as you do. Even though she was taken from you before her time, though, the gods have a plan for everyone. If she hadn't died, maybe this team would never have met you and would be at a disadvantage due to that. I know you would have rather had her here with you, her and your child, but I believe neither of them would want to know you've been so hurt by it that you've given your life trying to get justice for the loss. People who love each other, _really_ love each other, want only the best for one another - they want them to be happy. And even if you could get back at that man- if you found him and killed him tomorrow -would it bring them back? Would it make you any happier for going down to his level?"

For a while, Jackel just stood wordlessly, staring at her in surprise and thought. She really did have a lot of insight for someone so young; he'd realized she was smart as they travelled to Comodo, but she wasn't just intelligent - she was wise, too. And beautiful. And standing so very, very close that if he just moved in a little bit more-

Jackel jumped away from the Priestess as if he'd been shot at, his hands quickly stuffing themselves into his pockets for safe keeping. Whatever sentiment had been exchanged, it came from a friend to another friend - nothing more. She and Shujiri had, although not openly, expressed interest in one another. That meant she was technically off-limits to him, and since he had a code of ethics, morals, and beliefs he liked to follow, he would force himself to respect that fact.

Lana tilted her head, curious and confused at his actions as well as the tight line of his lips. The honey-brown eyes that had been so bright and readable only a few moments ago were now guarded - closed off and stormy. She wondered at the sudden change, but she was given no time to comment on it.

A loud 'CLANG!' sounded from the operations room and immediately the air ship shuddered. Its passengers were sent stumbling across the deck awkwardly in the attempt to regain their lost balance.

Catching himself on the railing, Shujiri glanced around at the people nearby and called out to all of them, "Is everyone okay?"

Falcone righted himself and set his skewed glasses back in place before he took a look around. He murmured his confirmation. "Yes, I believe everyone here is alright, but what in the name of Vor was that?"

As if to answer his question, one of the flying ship's staff members came over with a strained smile and asked, "Is everyone okay?"

Shujiri nodded. "Aye, but what just happened?"

The brown-haired woman laughed nervously. "Not to alarm you, but we don't really know as of yet. We're investigating as we speak, though, so there's no need to worry. Everything will be up and operating in perfect order before you know it!"

Across the length of the deck, Sahari shook her head. That sure had been a bit bumpier than she'd expected. Had they landed already? One look to the side provided the answer to that question. Okay, so what had just happened?

_Well,_ she mused inwardly, _I could ask Shuji-Fu; even if he doesn't know, though, the staff probably would._

The young Assassin turned to head for the cabin where the captain was, but she was forced to stop in her tracks when she nearly bumped into someone's chest. Surprised, she opened her mouth to apologize as her eyes moved up to meet theirs, but her words quickly died in her throat.

The blonde man she had bumped into was gorgeous! His skin was flawless and only slightly pale, and he was thin but stil muscular. His pointed ears gave him an elvish look, while the horns on his head reminded her of Dmitri, Falcone, and Jackel. The brownish-black wings on his back fluttered slightly but without sound, and although the clothing he wore was almost as skimpy as that of any female Stalker or Gypsy she had ever seen, it really didn't bother her in the least. Not to mention his semi-smile, which gave his somewhat boyish face a more mature, alluring air..

When she finally recovered from her surprise and awe, she opened her mouth to speak. However, she was again cut off; the male across from her lifted his right hand gracefully and slowly, very slowly, placed one finger over his mouth in the universal request for silence. His eyes drooped slightly closed as he removed it and instead placed it upon hers.

Taking the hint, Sahari whispered softly, "What are you doing here? What's your name?"

He placed his hand over her heart gently, and from the heat that suddenly flooded through her chest, she shuddered in the wake of the unexpected warmth. Forgetting her request for his name, she asked again, "What brings you here?"

The blonde motioned up to the sky where the balloon keeping the ship aloft was.

Sahari glanced up to see what he was pointing to and saw a white bird flying lazily over the top of the stalled ship in a wide circle as though searching for a place to land. When she moved her attention back to her strange new acquaintance, he produced a rose from seemingly nowhere and passed the delicate flower carefully to her hands.

The man took a few slow steps back from her until he was almost at the edge of the deck, pressed against the railing. As he stepped up onto it and spread his unusual, leathery wings, the smile he had worn through the entire encounter became slightly amused and almost..calculating. He waved to her, an action that was as graceful as all of his others, and then leaped backwards.

Then, there was a loud booming noise that was reminiscent of a clap of thunder despite the cloudless day, and she saw the white bird shoot away like a bullet from one of Jackel's guns in the direction the man had just gone.

The next thing she knew, she and her friends were all falling from the sky freely and heading rapidly for the dry, cracked ground of one of the fields near Veins.**  
To Be Continued..**


	39. A Rose By Any Other Name

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **(Quick note before the rest of the notes: The rhyme mentioned in this chapter is subject to change if I can think of a better way to word it. If it seems off later, just check back and see what it turned into here.) I want to quickly note that Raito is a rename of Q-chan (someone with whom I played RO occasionally)'s Paladin by the name of LightPaladin. I opted to rename him Raito because I felt that saying his name was actually Light wouldn't sound as normal. Also, just to warn you ahead of time, you might find Gambriel either annoying or hard to understand; his character basis, according to the friend that made him, was spawned from Gambit, Kentucky-dwellers, and Orion. That same friend got the names Heracles and Kiku from Hetalia, although he tried to make their personalities less like the characters in it and more like his siblings. Last but not least, in the realm of recommended listening themes, let's just stick with "Desert" from the Morroc fields.**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Five: (A Rose By Any Other Name)...Would Still Be Suspicious!  
**Pharin hovered in the sky as he helplessly watched his master and friends fall towards the earth below, confused as to what had happened and at a loss for what to do to help. The air ship had seemed to be in pretty good shape so it shouldn't have malfunctioned to the point that parts of it exploded as it rapidly lost altitude.

Wait...

The little blue homunculus looked up to where the blimp holding the ship afloat had been and spotted a large hole in the balloon's hide. It looked as if someone had intentionally popped it - someone who somehow knew the weak spots, vital and otherwise, by the looks of things, of an air ship. As he stared, he saw a white blur streak across the sky in the distance.

Below Pharin, Falcone groaned in frustration. Because Alex and Dmitri weighed more than he, personally, did, their bodies pinned his wings against his back and made them useless.

Not far from him, Zira was having a different, although similar, issue; though his wings were not trapped, they were still a bit sore - still a bit too weak even after the Healing from Yuuki's attack in the shrine to support the weight of anyone he could have grabbed and tried to hover with. Just his own weight alone, with as slender as he was, was too much strain for them to work.

Dmitri shouted down at Shujiri and Zira, his tone somewhat urgent, "We could use a little divine intervention, guys!"

Sahari threw in, "Make with the god speak!"

Frowning, Zira called back, "Well, I'm sorry, but it doesn't quite work like that!"

Jackel waved up at the others. "Anybody else think it's dern hilarious that we done got s' used t' life er death sichiations that we don't holler like normal people?"

Lana rolled her eyes as she tried her best to keep her dress down. She shouted back, "Is that a good thing?"

Shujiri shrugged. "Could go either way!"

Glaring at the others, Jeliel snapped, "Will one of you please take our impending doom seriously?"

Falcone sighed. "I would have to agree with your statement under normal conditions," he shouted, "But there's currently little we can do!"

To the right of Zira, Ghebriel smiled to the blonde and the redhead at his left as he called out, "This is actually kind of fun! Is this what flying is like for you two?"

Jeliel plucked the hat he had been trying to keep on from his head and chucked it over at Ghebriel, receiving a satisfying, soft 'ouch' from the man as well as a stern, deadly glare from Falcone. "No, airhead; flying is different! This is what _falling_ is like!"

"Good job!" Alex called to the High Wizard. "Now you'll never see that hat again, Jeliel!"

Jeliel stared at the 'Smith in stupefied disbelief. "We're going to die. I'll never see it again _anyway_!"

Lana sighed. "We're doomed anyway; let's at least not fight in our last moments!"

Zira nodded his agreement. "We can only hope the gods aren't tired of having to put up with us and feel generous enough to give us another-"

The blonde couldn't finish his sentence; a gold and brown streak swept past and took him with it.

Shujiri stared at the spot his friend had been before calling out, "Zira! What in the name of Freya-"

He, too, was interrupted by a blur of almost sea-green that swept in, grabbed him, and zipped off at a speed so fast that none of the others could see what had happened.

Startled, Shujiri blinked when he realized he was no longer falling. Rather, he seemed to be stuck hovering in place, which was odd considering he had no wings unlike Zira and Falcone. When he felt a pressure around his torso and legs, he looked down to them and noted the presence of a pair of arms. His eyes followed them to the body they were attached to, and he was surprised to find a Biochemist there, with him carefully in his arms.

"Welcome to Midday Flight, mon ami!" the man said, his voice thickly layered with an accent.

Looking up into the man's teal eyes, Shujiri noted the messy mop of electric blue hair and the single gold hoop earring in his ear. The man's cyan fairy wings fluttered behind him as he smiled down at the Assassin Cross, his sea-green uniform standing out starkly among the clouds and the landscape behind him.

At last, he found his voice to reply. "Who are-"

"'Name's Gambriel Eispen. Great t' mee'cha! Looks like the othah boys got your pals alreaddeh, mon ami; le's go see how ev'rehboddeh faired!"

When Gambriel landed and Shujiri was set down, he immediately noted that, indeed, most of his friends were already present and in one piece. He did a quick visual check and then called out, "Everyone okay?"

Lady Lana nodded shakily, her hair frazzled. She stood at the side of Jackel, who still had the arms of a sandy-haired Star Gladiator about his waist. They both seemed fine, he supposed...

Near them was a Paladin clad in red and black. His chocolate brown eyes matched his hair and they stared down quietly at one of the two men he had caught. In one arm was Alex, and Ghebriel was carefully nestled into the other. They, too, seemed fine.

Not far from them were Zira and the gold-clad blur of a Lord Knight who had caught him. Puppy ears sat atop his mop of brown hair, his honey-golden eyes smiling even though his lips were set in a straight line. Shujiri nodded a hello and made a mental check beside Zira's name.

Beside the two men stood a relatively small young man, or at least he was small by comparison with Falcone's stature, in the violet garb of a Ninja. He bowed in a greeting to Shujiri. The wreath of sakura petals atop his long, black hair shifted slightly as he righted himself and he carefully adjusted it back. Another mental check mark.

Next were a red-and-white-clad blonde High Priest and a white-haired, black-and-gold-robed High Wizard. They held Dmitri and Sahari, respectively, who were rather enjoying the safe closeness to the ground again. Two more checks. That just left...

_Look out below!_

The sound of Tyr's voice in his mind made Shujiri glance around until he finally saw a second Paladin, this one in light yellow and silver with slightly spiked honey-blonde hair and vivid blue eyes, coming to a stop on his feet gracefully as he completed the descent from the sky. Tyr was held firmly in one arm against his body to prevent the squirming young pup from falling and in his other arm was Jeliel, who seemed somehow both angry and relieved. Check aaaand check!

When Pharin came to eye level with Yuuki's egg, which had fallen from its sling on Zira's back during the plunge, between his feet and passed it to Zira, he was effectively the last name on the list to be checked off.

Satisfied, Shujiri looked to the 'Chemist that had saved him and said, "Thank ye for your help - all of ye. I'd hate to think of where our splatters would be if you weren't around."

Gambriel chuckled at the humour behind the man's words. "No prob' mon ami; las' thing annehboddeh want 's to scrape a fella off the terrain, non?"

Falcone smiled as Shujiri agreed. "If we might be allowed to ask, what are the names of our rescuers?"

"Sure, sure, monsieur!" Gambriel pointed to himself and stated, "Th' name's Gambriel." He motioned towards the Star Gladiator and added, "Now, these 'my friends. Down the row, we got Heracles, the Star Gladiator; Ruko, the firs' Paladin; Dorian, the Lord Knight; Kiku, one'uh our party's two Ninjas; Sarian, our High Priest; Delsan, the High Wizard who is also Sarian's cousin; Raito, the second Paladin; and...Where's Corran?"

"Where's who?" Sahari whispered to Dmitri, who shrugged.

Off in the distance slightly, a voice called out and caught everyone's attention. "Over here!"

The group turned to face the direction the voice had come from in time to see a second Ninja stepping into the field with them. At his feet was a Vanilmirth which they could only assume belonged to Gambriel. "Sorry," he called out, "I saw that guy's hat land way back while you were all playing hero so I thought I'd go back and grab it while I waited for everyone to land!"

"Ah!" Kiku exclaimed, waving across at the other Ninja, whose light green eyes matched the green of his clothes. Shujiri's group quickly noted that the unusually dark tone of black of Kiku's hair was the same on his new arrival. "Corran! Over here! Where was it?"

Gambriel's voice drowned out Corran's reply to Shujiri as he said, "That's Corran; he's a Ninja, and Kiku's older brother. At his feet 's my homunculus, Niles."

Shujiri nodded his understanding and introduced his companions. Once the introductions were over, Corran came up to Jeliel, the top hat in his hands a bit dirty but no worse for wear. The High Wizard accepted it from him, gently wiped the dirt from it onto his outer robe, and lifted the hat to place it on his head with a sigh of content.

Once it was in place, Jeliel lifted a brow at the expressions of amusement, confusion, and general "What the Helheim" surrounding him.

Eventually, he asked, "What's with all of you? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Finally, Lady Lana, Sahari, and Zira all cracked. With a loud "Aww!" they raced to the other man's side and reached up, patting the top of his hat. This only further confused the magic-user. "Alright, alright, quit that. What are you-" He swatted their hands away from his hat and backed up, reaching up to see that it hadn't been harmed or sabotaged in the assault. He was stopped in mid-sentence when he felt that hand land on something soft, small, and..thrumming?

Confused, Jeliel plucked the hat from his head and brought it down to look at it. When he did, he found himself face to fur-covered face with a Lunatic.

Startled, Jeliel threw the hat into the air with a scream.

Ghebriel caught it carefully, bringing it back to eye level for inspection. "It's a Lunatic, and it's so adorable!"

"Never you mind that! What's it doing on my hat?" Jeliel shrieked, pointing at the offending rabbit-shaped monster with his staff.

Corran chuckled. "The little guy seems to have decided it'll be his new home." he stated. "He was already nestled into it when I got to it, and when I picked it up, he refused to vacate."

"I'm not giving it my hat."

Zira snorted. "It's not giving you a choice."

Shujiri snickered as Alex took the hat and placed it delicately back atop Jeliel's head. "Look, Jeliel," he coaxed gently, "He doesn't seem to mind if you wear his new home. Since he's not hurting anything and he seems to be refusing to leave, you had might as well adjust to having the little guy live with you. Or, on you, as the case may be."

Jeliel glared at the Whitesmith, but a question from Raito stopped his retort.

"Just what happened up there to make that thing explode? I've never seen anything like that happen."

Shujiri frowned. "We're not sure, ourselves."

Pharin, who had taken his place on Ghebriel's shoulder, spoke up at this. "I bet that bird had something to do with it."

All eyes turned to the little blue homunculus. "What bird?" asked Shujiri.

Blinking, Sahari's mind wandered back to the unusual encounter just before the explosion. Pharin explained, "While you stones were worshiping gravity I saw a white falcon fly away from the air ship as it went down. It looked real suspicious, but I wasn't able to fly after it fast enough to keep up with it for long."

Sarian snickered. "You look fat. Maybe if you didn't eat so much you would've been faster, fatty."

"Actually..."

Everyone turned to Sahari, who was frowning uncharacteristically.

"I saw a white falcon, too. The man on the ship pointed to it-"

Shujiri stopped her, his brows knitted. "One of the air ship's staff members?"

"No; he wasn't dressed like one, at least."

"What did he look like?"

"Cute." Sahari stated matter-of-factly without missing a beat. She held up the rose she had yet to let go of. "He gave me this before he flew off; he was blonde, tall, had red eyes that were so dark I almost thought they were black...He was a little pale, too."

Alex turned to Shujiri. "Sound familiar?"

The blue-haired man shook his head. "Not yet. Did ye notice anything else, Sahari?"

"Well, he had kind of leathery wings and horns on his head like Jackel's. He was dressed pretty sparingly, too." At this, she blushed slightly.

With these words, Zira and Shujiri felt a shock of realization run up their spines as they exchanged identical looks of concern. Their reaction didn't go unnoticed by the others.

Falcone, feeling as though he had a suspicion of what the answer would be, asked slowly, "Who was it, Shujiri? Zira? I believe you seem to already know..."

"Have ye ever been around Glast Heim?" Shujiri inquired.

"I can't say that I have..."

Now Zira spoke up, his eyes trained squarely on Sahari as he moved to see that she was alright. "He was an Incubus, and he's one of the aggressive types of monsters." He spun her around, checking her over, then turned her back to face him as he looked over her face and arms for traces of injury. "Did he hurt you?"

Sahari shook her head, eyes wide. "Not at all." she promised. "He was standing there when I turned around and I bumped into him. I tried to ask his name, but he didn't say anything; he pointed up at the falcon, gave me this rose, and jumped off the ship. He flew away."

Gambriel whistled. "Sounds t' me you fellas got lucky, mes amis."

"Lucky?" Jeliel scoffed. "We could have died!"

"Oui. And I think that was prob'ly the plan."

"What?"

Now Heracles spoke up, drawing their attention. "Well, if you think about what she just said and the flow of events, it sounds like the Incubus and the falcon somehow were together, and sabotaged the ship. If he made a distraction, he could keep people from looking around the scenery and seeing the bird. And if that bird possibly belonged to someone, then it would have been much more dangerous than if it were just acting alone or in partnership with that monster."

Dmitri shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the revelation and the creeping sense of dreaded suspicion over how likely it all sounded. "There was a loud sound that shook the ship before that explosion happened, and before that, the ship started falling pretty quickly..."

Heracles 'hmm'ed at this. "If he kept you busy worrying about sounds close to your level, you probably wouldn't look up to check the skies for anything. But if he was seen by Ms. Sahari, then he must have been either too busy with something to notice her until she turned around and ran into him or else he was waiting for her to see him intentionally. But why would that be? Regardless, all he would have had to do to throw off a lone female if he hadn't wanted to be seen would be to use his powers to charm his way out of suspicion."

Delsan crossed his arms in speculation. "But why would they bother? And why work with the bird?"

"Who knows?" Dorian shrugged and sighed. He looked down to Zira and Ghebriel as he patted their shoulders in a reassuring manner when he noted the somewhat pale looks on their faces. "Things have gotten dark lately; not a lot makes sense anymore."

Falcone scowled at the close contact and Jeliel glared at the Lord Knight, but neither said anything.

Zira nodded. "He's right, and with recent events that appear to be happening the world over, it isn't just limited to us. We just seem to be the ones who have the worst luck now."

Kiku chuckled nervously. "I don't know if that would be bad luck or a grim fate at work."

The Ninja's statement sent chills through Shujiri's group. If only he knew how right he was...

"Well," Ruko began, smiling down charmingly at the 'Chemist and High Priest near Dorian and himself, "What is it that brings you all to Veins?"

Ghebriel began to speak but an elbow in the side from Zira stopped him. Instead, Shujiri answered, "We were on the way to the abbey to look for someone."

"Small world." Corran mused.

"Eh?"

Gambriel clarified, a semi-smile on his lips. "'Sure seems that way. We were here to find a friend too. He should be near here soon; 'said to wait at the docks."

Lana smiled at the flamboyant Creator. "We were actually heading there, ultimately, anyway. It's the only way to or from the island, after all; how far are we from the boat there?"

The Star Gladiator clapped a hand gently on her shoulder as he answered, "Not too far at all. As a matter of fact, it's just a few miles away from here. We're going there, ourselves, so why don't we just walk with you?"

"That would be wonderful!" Ghebriel nodded from where Ruko was pressing him into his side, an arm around his shoulders. "We still haven't gotten to properly thank you for saving us."

Dorian gave a small, warm smile. The gentle, approachable air about him did not necessarily seem like a common association with most Lord Knights, but it seemed perfect and natural on him to match the tender appearance the puppy dog ears gave him. "We couldn't just let you all die when we could stop it."

Ruko, too, offered a charming smile, although his was much more suave and debonaire. "Your lives are more than repayment for the effort, believe me."

Dmitri nudged Sahari and Jackel, motioning to Falcone and Jeliel. He whispered, "Looks like they're going to Fire Bolt Dorian and Ruko."

Alex, having overheard this, snickered quietly. He had to admit, it certainly did look that way from the expressions on their faces. They both seemed less than pleased with the two men's confidence in interacting with the Priest and Creator.

Finally growing impatient with the men's fondness of close contact, Falcone came forward and took Ghebriel by the hand as he said, "Well, with that settled, shall we begin our trip again, my dear?"

The temporarily-one-eyed male flinched at the touch, but forced a smile despite this. He pressed unconsciously closer to Ruko as he replied, "Better sooner than later, given all the things we still have to do."

Ruko looked up into the red eyes of the irate Scholar, a cocky, triumphant smile flickering onto his lips and then disappearing like a ghost as quickly as it came. The redhead's eyes narrowed behind his spectacles, but he chose not to vocalize the annoyance at the moment. He'd rather save his energy for someone he deemed worth the retort, and he definitely did not see the Paladin in front of him as competition. Ghebriel was intelligent enough to know scum when he saw it. Falcone just hoped he was grounded enough to differentiate between what the brunette before him was trying to do and genuine kindness.

The two groups set off, each member splitting into a discussion with one or two of the others as they went.

Pharin resumed his watch over Ghebriel to ensure Falcone didn't come closer again. From his perch on Ghebriel's shoulder he had a perfect vantage point. He would be able to notice the approach of the former educator, and he was close enough to his master to offer a bit of solace to soothe his rattled nerves. He didn't really think the man was dense enough to try to do anything just yet, considering the reaction the Biochemist had had to his touch earlier, but he wanted to keep a vigilant eye on him just to be on the safe side.

Tyr trudged alongside Shujiri, who brought up the rear of the group with Gambriel. He kept an eye on the Priestess ahead of him as she traveled with Jackel and Heracles. Although the Gladiator seemed to be lightly flirting with her, he wasn't the one that concerned him. Every now and then, Jackel glanced at his side to the woman and would seem to become lost in thought until he realized that he was staring at her, blush, and look anywhere but at her for the next few minutes. It was unusual behaviour for the rowdy gunman, but it was a behaviour that was easily recognizable to the bluenette.

Lana, herself, was more prone now than before to place her hand on his arm or back to see if he was alright when she felt Jackel's eyes stare intensely at her and then suddenly leave. Even as she did this, she was careful to ensure that her tone of voice and speech never faltered so as to avoid drawing Heracles's attention to the matter. The blonde healer understood his personality well enough to know he would appreciate not having his seeming discomfort or personal thoughts brought up in the presence of the others, much less someone he'd just met, and wanted to respect that. It confused her a bit as to what was going on in his mind, but she thought that if he wanted to, he would tell her what it was later as he had on the air ship. There was one thing she couldn't deny, though, and that was the fact that whenever she felt his eyes on her, she felt her face grow slightly hot. She didn't hold those kinds of feelings for the boisterous man, but just the same, she couldn't help it.

Falcone's predicament was somewhat more troubled. He remained at a distance from the smaller man he loved, by force from Pharin more than by the want for it. The gaping chasm of the distance seemed to be causing his restless mind to go into overdrive about the previous night and today's experiences. He knew that at least two lifetimes of loving one another meant that he and the 'Chemist would probably overcome the fear he felt, but he didn't know why it was there in the first place. He didn't want him to be afraid of him, and he _really_ didn't want the two men they had just met to consume so much of Ghebriel's attention.

Kiku, who stayed at Falcone's side, observed the two groups in an effort to piece together the relationships of their new friends. It was quite clear to him that Falcone cared deeply for the light-haired 'Chemist. Unfortunately, it was also obvious that there had been something that happened to make him fear the Professor's closeness. He had also determined that there was a budding romance between both Shujiri and Jackel towards Lady Lana. The young Assassin girl also seemed to harbor feelings for someone, most likely the Gunslinger since she was so often staring at him. Outside of that, he had no real notion of who they were, what brought them all together, or why they had been sabotaged.

Jeliel kept his gaze on Zira and Ruko. Jealous didn't quite describe how he felt. He had only recently started a spark between them and it was at risk of being extinguished if they kept bickering; especially if Ruko was more of a charmer than he was, and that seemed to be the case. The sentimental, sensitive High Priest could easily decide he just couldn't handle his constantly on-edge attitude and drop things to spare the group some trouble. He didn't even know why it was so hard for him to relax, but it made him all the more anxious and frustrated to watch Ruko keep one arm around Ghebriel's shoulders..and slip the other around the blonde's waist.

Raito seemed contented to keep Sahari, Sarian, and Delsan company; they were enjoying the girl's sense of humour and outrageous plans for making couples in the two groups. They also found it particularly entertaining that Zira and Ghebriel were, as it turned out, not women despite their more or less feminine appearances. They knew it wouldn't really matter to Dorian, who was more on the terms of friendliness than actually being interested in them. Ruko, however, would not be pleased.

Corran and Niles took up a post walking with Dmitri. The Stalker surveyed the splinter groups around him inquisitively; he wasn't so much interested in what they were all discussing as he was in trying to peg personalities on all of the new people around him. He caught Sahari continually glancing in Jackel's direction and smiled; she was apparently seeing the same unusual behaviour Shujiri did, and didn't like it one bit.

Alex, meanwhile, walked on the pseudo-outskirts of Sahari's little gathering. He watched everyone interact and listened to their words as he half paid attention and became half immersed in his own thoughts about what lay in store for them at the abbey. Although he was now somehow certain that he had, indeed, known the people in his group previous to this lifetime, he was still almost no closer whatsoever to discovering the information Shujiri had promised each of them. They were still short one person, and that meant that whatever answers he received until they found Rine, he would have to unlock, himself. What a hassle...

In the pause in his thoughts, Alex caught glimmers of the conversation between Shujiri and Gambriel. It sounded more or less like typical, awkward-silence-filling banter, but parts of it stuck out to him. Upon hearing the mention of the abbey, he slowed his pace until he was lagging behind Sahari, Raito, Sarian, and Delsan, remaining just slightly ahead of the last two men in the procession in the hopes of discovering something about their destination. Having never been there, he wondered what awaited them.

"So ye were going here to meet someone?" Shujiri inquired.

"Oui; he's normally alreaddeh with us, but, he can' keep his curiosity in check. He went to the abbey to check on somethin' and said jus' to come and meet him at the dock."

"Ah. But it can get dangerous there alone; was it really a good idea to go regardless?"

Gambriel laughed aloud at this, piquing Alex's curiosity further and earning a quirked brow from Shujiri. He set to explaining. "You' be right 'bout that, oui, but he 'no weaklin' himself. 'We firs' met Wizomgot, you know what he was doin'? Lecturin' Dracula. He' the strongest High Wizard we eve' met, mon ami; an' the smartest. He' no joke."

Shujiri flinched imperceptibly at the thick accent the man spoke with. It sounded as though he may have been from near the swampy fields of Comodo considering the sound of his drawl, but he would have to confirm it with Sahari and Dmitri later. Having spent so much time near there, they should know if anyone would. He didn't think it would be necessarily the most polite of things to bring up in a conversation with the one using the accent when the question of 'why' could be posed. He didn't like lying, and he would have had to admit that it was somewhat difficult to listen to despite the friendly and mirthful tone it held.

The teal-eyed Creator continued his explanation. "You know those legends 'bout the High Wizard that traveled so many places an' did so much? He said he felt compelled to follow them footsteps. 'Said he felt a pull to do everything the stories say he did to see how he must 'felt doin' 'em. We tried to point out we got no way 'knowin' if he really did all 'at or if it's exaggerated, but he wou'n' hear none'uh it. He jus' gathered some 'his books off the shelves, packed some things, 'n' off he went. There was one point where we were headin' out to Gonryun, but we all got separated. When we caught up to Wizomgot, the fella had the Evil Snake Lord on his last legs. So to say, anyhow."

"He fought him alone? And he won?"

"'Said somethin' real funny when he was dyin'."

"What?"

"'Said 'Beware the unholy blood in holy veins, shadows to drive the mad ones sane; repeat the past to unlock the key, look to the future and join me.'"

Brows furrowed, Shujiri glanced down for a few moments as he tried to process the rhyme. It made no sense on the surface, but even when he tried to place the warning about repeating the past with his group and what they'd been through, he still couldn't make much sense of it. The fact that the rhyme was spoken in the presence of the people he'd just met intrigued him, especially considering that one of their friends single-handedly defeated the wise snake monster. Was it possible that the message had been directed at the High Wizard alone, and that it spoke of something important to him? Had he been a part of their past as well? Or perhaps it went further back than even that...

Shujiri had no chance to voice his thoughts on the matter; a loud slap from ahead of them broke his concentration. His attention moved to where he could see Ruko cowering on the ground, holding both sides of his face, with Ghebriel and Zira on either side of him. Both were a bright shade of red as they stalked off to join Sahari and Lana's conversations.

Gambriel sighed wearily and went up to Ruko. Staring down at him with his hands on his hips, he asked, "What 'you do now?"

Dorian tutted and shook his head. "He got a little too friendly."

It was Raito's turn to sigh now as Sarian laughed at his friend's misfortune. "Pervert. Will you ever learn to keep your hands to yourself?"

Behind them, Sahari grinned at the sight while Lady Lana simply looked down to the younger girl and whispered, "Better them than us."

Unable to resist the opportunity that had presented itself, Jeliel quickly jogged past the embarrassed Paladin to reach Zira, smacking the top of his head with his staff as he passed. The Lunatic on his hat turned to look back at him and almost seemed to laugh at him the whole way.

Falcone, although still unable to go to Ghebriel, still took the chance to give Ruko a good, hard thump on the head with his own staff in passing. Further adding insult to injury, he shamelessly waved back at him as he cast a simple Fire Ball at the man's feet. He didn't want to hurt him too badly, he just wanted to get back at him for trying to take the Biochemist from him. It was perhaps a bit petty, he knew, but the temptation was just too great. He was very protective of those he loved, after all, and Ghebriel ranked first and foremost on that list of names.

Once the matter was sorted out and Sarian had Healed Ruko as far as he was willing to, peace once again returned to the trek. Jeliel had taken his place by Zira and although he made no physical contact with the blonde, his aura and posture made it very clear that no one could safely approach the holy man. Zira, himself, seemed to have relaxed a bit in the presence of the dangerous air the magic user was emitting. Trust the unusual High Priest to feel right at home amid an aura that practically screamed "Touch and greet death."

Ghebriel had fallen back with Lana, Heracles, and Jackel. Ultimately, Falcone had decided he couldn't take the distance and tried to catch up with them. This had been quickly shot down - first by Ghebriel, who scuttled between Lana and Jackel for safety, then reinforced by a very nasty peck to the face by Pharin. Lana smiled apologetically as she Healed him, then turned to Ghebriel to focus her energies on calming him.

Not long after their walk resumed, they finally came to the little wooden pier where a small boat was waiting.

"Well, mes amis," Gambriel started, "This 'where we split up. The boat here'll take you t' the Nameless Island where that abbey was built. Be safe, stick together, and stay near the shore. 'Less danger there."

The others nodded. "Thanks again for saving us and for bringing us here." Shujiri said, holding his hand out.

Gambriel returned the smile Shujiri gave him with one of his own as he shook his hand warmly. "Non, mon ami; don' go thankin' us for somethin' like that! You all jus' be careful, oui?"

Shujiri nodded, and with a final 'thank you,' they were loaded up onto the boat and on their way to the island.**  
To Be Continued..**


	40. The Nameless Island Part 1

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **-falls over in relief- My favourite part's coming up soon; I just have to grin and bear the rest of the trek inward. -cheers- I need to make a quick note and if you don't want the spoiler skip over it: Godporing was an MvP on VoidRO that I've never seen duplicated on any other server so far. He was pretty much what he sounds like, and the drops were...Let's just say it made it very, very worth killing him if you were strong enough. That's where the idea of what comes after he's defeated comes in from. *ahem* Now end of spoiler, on to the theme music. Ladies and gents, let's go with the nocturnal theme to the Nameless Island: "Good Night." (Sorry. I love that song so much...Such amazing Niflheim-like visuals to accompany it, lulz.) Also, I'm sorry for the massive delay in posting this chapter and I'm even more sorry that it might sound forced. I had a bit of writer's block in editing this to ease the forced feeling and in writing the chapter after it, and it took me forever to realize "Hm, y'know, if you don't post this one, you CAN'T post the others.." XD;**  
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**RoChronicles**

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**Chapter Thirty-Six: The Nameless Island (Part 1)  
**As the little boat quietly glided to a stop, Shujiri took a moment to scan the area and ensure that it would be safe to venture away from the water. There were a few Ghouls and Hell Poodles wandering around in the distance, but nothing nearby had spotted them. He turned to the others and said in a voice just above a whisper, "We made it to the island; now we need to get in and find Chrnos and Xabel."

Dmitri murmured, "Or whatever is left of them. This place is creepy."

Lana stared at the Stalker in horror over his comment while Zira simply curled closer to Shujiri and Jeliel.

"Aye...But let's hope they can take care of themselves for now. When we get off the boat, be as quiet as you can; we don't want to attract any unwanted attention around here. Those are Demon and Undead types here, so we can't try to hide in plain sight; they'll see right through that. Zira, Lady Lana, you two are the only ones here with Holy power, so you stay near the middle for protection and help when ye can. Remember what Gambriel told us about staying near the shoreline until we get to where we can't go further. Stick close together."

Everyone nodded.

The Assassin turned to Zira. "Bring Yuuki back out, now; he's strong, and we'll need all the help we can get." Looking down at Tyr, Shujiri gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, pup."

_I can't hold you back here when it's so dangerous. Go ahead._

Nodding, Shujiri held his hand out over the little ice wolf and called out his return words.

Once Tyr was safely resting in his egg, his owner placed it carefully in Alex's cart for safe keeping. "Your turn, Zira."

The blonde plucked Yuuki's egg from its sling, setting it on the floor of the boat in front of him. With a gentle caress over the shell, Zira said softly, "_Come out, warrior of the east._"

Appearing in a dull shimmer of light, Yuuki rubbed sleepily at one dark eye as he took in the surroundings. Turning to face his master, he asked, "You called, Zira-sama?"

Zira nodded. "We're going to the abbey and we need to be quiet; it's dangerous here. We'll be needing your assistance for offense and for protection, I'm afraid."

Yuuki bowed to the High Priest. "Hai, I understand. I will guard your lives with mine."

Alex handed the man who owned the boat enough zeny to cover their ride and took a look around for himself.

The air seemed hazy with an eerie fog, but through it he could just make out the terrain. It seemed rocky, with small tufts of grass peeking up the closer inland it went. The water lapped up at the shore in a silent chorus and receded once more before it got too far - almost as if afraid to venture any further. Up ahead in the distance he could see the shadowed silhouette of the abbey they had come there for. It seemed old and run down, even though- to the best of his memory -it had been in use by the various holy practices of Rune-Midgard as recently as last year.

Taking a deep breath, Shujiri moved forward and stepped out of the boat. Behind him, Yuuki all but hoisted a resistant Zira over his shoulder and stepped out as well.

After staring at Zira for a moment, Jeliel snickered at the less than thrilled look the blonde luggage sported.

Shujiri quirked a brow at him.

"I never knew carting him around like a bag was an option." Jeliel explained simply, and was met with a thunk over the head by Zira's scythe.

After a few more moments, everyone was off the boat and the man silently saluted them as he pushed off. They slowly began to make their way through the fog, wary of the dangers they now faced. For the most part, they waded through the murky waters in almost complete silence.

When they came to a stop, Yuuki deemed them far enough from the pier to set Zira down.

"I wasn't about to run away, you know." the blonde hissed, earning an apologetic grin. He sighed.

Jackel patted the man on the shoulder. "Jes' cain't 'fford t' take that chance."

All manner of interaction broke off when Sahari's loud squeal of 'Awww, cute!' sounded.

Ever alert, Shujiri surveyed the area to make sure nothing had heard her as Jackel quickly slapped a hand over the female Assassin's mouth to keep her from further risking the revealing of their location. It wasn't hard to spot what she'd seen; a Hell Poodle ambled near the edge of the upper portion of the island, stopping as it heard her voice.

Everyone was pressed against the side of the island in the shadows as far out of sight as possible, each praying that Sahari's outcry hadn't blown their cover. Moments ticked by at the pace of an Ambernite trudging through molasses as they waited until the dog-like monster turned towards their hiding spot. It ventured slightly closer, head cocked to one side and one ear perked up.

Biting his lip, Ghebriel glanced back to the way they'd come. He looked down at his collection of bottles resting in Alex's cart and quickly plucked two out. The Hell Poodle was coming closer and it could find them at any moment; he would have to be fast - and accurate.

As softly as he was able, he whispered to Pharin, "I need you to help me pin down a place back there to throw this; I still can't see very well with only one functioning eye."

The little homunculus stared at his maker for a moment until he realized what he had in mind. "Take aim; I'll correct." he responded.

Ghebriel narrowed his visible eye slightly, trying to pick out the place he'd decided on. "The wedge between the pier and the base of the island; it's near the water."

Pharin hopped along his arm until he reached his wrist, mindful of the highly explosive concoctions in the Creator's hands. He spread his wings and lifted off; he had to stay low, but he needed to get enough air to maneuver Ghebriel's arms.

Brows furrowed, Lana whispered, "What are you two doing? That thing might see you!"

Ghebriel shot her a smile. When Pharin returned to his shoulder and nudged his cheek with his wing, he moved back..and pitched the two bottles in the direction Pharin had set them.

The acid and grenade bottles both hit their mark perfectly. The explosion was instantaneous, with a cloud of smoke and bright flashes igniting.

Hearing the loud noise, the Hell Poodle turned its attention to the flames and took off towards it.

When the coast was clear, the spacey man turned to his friends with an urgent expression. "It's in my opinion, both logical and scientific, that we should vacate the location before the monster catches our scent and returns, and my personal opinion is that we do it now. I don't want to be his next chew toy." he whispered quickly nudging Falcone and Shujiri ahead of him.

The group took the opportunity to make their escape, acutely aware that to stay would result in being found by whatever residents that had heard the explosion and chosen to investigate. They scuttled around a corner and out of sight. They were safe..temporarily.

"Good call on creating a distraction." Dmitri praised, smiling.

"Quick thinkin'." Shujiri agreed. He was about to say something else but the far-off cry of a Banshee halted his train of thought.

The Lunatic on Jeliel's hat jumped down and scurried underneath it fearfully, peeking just slightly out from under it as it shivered in fear.

Falcone's expression was serious when he pulled Ghebriel closer in spite of Pharin's warnings. He shot Shujiri a look that conveyed the seriousness of his message. "I believe there is a legend that says the cry of a Banshee is a curse; when one screams, a death will occur very soon after."

Shujiri shook his head, blue bangs flopping gently against his face. "Then we'll have to make sure it won't be one of us." Looking ahead again, he sighed. "Unfortunately, we're heading in its direction; we have to start going inland if we want to get into the abbey. We've lost too much time already to keep missing him and having to follow him again." He turned his face to stare at Zira, his words honed more on the blonde than the others, knowing he would understand perhaps better than them the desperate nature of their situation. "We still have to find Rine after we talk to Chrnos and his friend as it is; there may not be many chances left before it all starts again and I don't want to go into this without everyone. It was bad enough _with_ everyone last time.."

"So, what's the plan of attack?" asked Jeliel as he prodded the shivering Lunatic hiding in his hat.

Shujiri chuckled softly when it calmed visibly at his touch. "Looks like it likes you," he commented. "Well, first, I think it might be for his benefit if ye put him-"

"Mr. Nom-Nom."

"-In his egg- ...Mr. Nom-Nom?"

"That's his name."

Zira and Lana broke the record for the fastest rounds of Lex Divina on themselves and their friends in the shortest amount of time. It was a good thing, too, because their laughter would surely have caught the attention of potentially everything on the island otherwise. A few of them were even laughing so hard that a few tears filled their eyes.

Jeliel stood there, indignant, before them with his arms crossed and his foot tapping, fingers drumming on his arm. An unamused, dark glare crossed his features. "Are you all done?" he hissed.

With a last snicker, the spell finally wore off and Shujiri swept a tear from his eye with one finger before speaking. "Ahem, yeah, sorry Jeliel. Ye should put..Mr. Nom-Nom..in his egg form for his own protection for now. He'd be safe and won't risk giving us away if he gets scared again. As for when we get to the abbey-"

"_You won't need to plan that far in advance; I'll end you now for intruding on this holy land!_"

Many eyes turned first to Yuuki, who held his hands up in a show of good will to signify that he hadn't been the one speaking. They were suddenly overshadowed by a large, ominous-looking cloud overhead. They realized suddenly that the voice had come from it.

Backing away to get a better look, they nearly felt their hearts stop when they were greeted with the sight of a giant, halo-adorned Poring sitting atop the cloud.

The monster glared menacingly down at them as he shouted, "_Prepare to meet your fate!_"  
**To Be Continued..**


	41. The Nameless Island Part 2

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **OHMYGOD! I'm not dead! :o I thought that since it's been a while since I posted, I'd spoil you all with part two pretty quickly. This, too, might seem somewhat forced. Thankfully, the ones after it I had a much easier time with because I'm finally getting back into the swing of things. I'm not feelin' too hot at the moment, though, so we'll cheat with the theme song for this one. (You might notice as this progresses that the themes are seeming to be the same for multiple chapters. Sorry about that. It doesn't feel right to make a scary chapter have a theme like Prontera's or Lutie's. xD) It's Fear, from the Glast Heim prison, if memory serves. This one's not-so-short and scurreh.**  
**

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Nameless Island (Part 2)  
**Wide-eyed, even Yuuki stepped back slightly before he stopped and brought his hand up to the hilt of his weapon. "What is this? Who are you?" he demanded.

"_Be silent and take your punishment!_"

A loud clap of thunder resonated around the friends and it was followed by a bright flash of light. The flash heralded the coming of the Lightning Bolt that was sent hurtling towards them, white hot and deadly.

With a shout of surprise, everyone quickly jumped away from the electrically-charged bolt just in time for it to crash to the ground at the c enter where they had stood. The strength of the magic fueling the bolt was so great that the ground it hit cracked and broke apart, caving inward on itself to leave a small crater deep enough to bury Tyr in.

Everyone was perfectly aware that they had no time to sit where they'd landed and think about what was happening; this giant, cloud-borne Poring was obviously intent on killing them.

Jeliel jumped to his feet, pointing up at the monster disbelievingly. "He's trying to kill us for coming onto holy ground - what about everyone and everything else already on this cruddy island!"

"_Silence! Only the worthy may enter!_"

Sahari chuckled dryly, elbowing Yuuki in the side a bit. "Sound familiar?"

Yuuki frowned.

Another lightning strike sent the party scattering, well aware that they stood a better chance separated than together; groups made it more possible to take down multiple people at a time in this situation. If there were too many of them needing assistance, the position they could find themselves in could turn very ugly, very quickly. The last thing they needed was to have Zira and Lana overwhelmed to the point where that unspoken sacrifice became the only option available.

Seeing Shujiri sneaking around Godporing with Dmitri, Alex took a position ahead of the monster, waving his weapon up at him. He'd have to try to keep them from being noticed. "Hey, coward! Come down off that cloud and fight us fairly!"

Alex was answered with a flash of lightning, but he needn't have been concerned about it; Jeliel's voice shouted out his own Lightning Bolt that collided with the enemy's and deflected it harmlessly towards the pier. The 'Smith looked over at the magic user, blue eyes thankful.

Falcone, waiting behind the giant Poring for the other two to approach, kept an eye on the giant monster as it attacked the others. When they finally stopped near him to prepare, he whispered, "Lightning Bolt for Wind, so that's out. I think Demon would be a safe bet. Perhaps Fire? Certainly not Holy. It seems content to stay on that perch; we're at quite a disadvantage from here. Attacking from the ground, physically, is impossible for us. Only a few of us have the use of magic and even fewer have much in the way of range." His red eyes locked onto Jackel and Dmitri, then flicked back to Shujiri again. "We badly need to get that thing down here with us, or one of us up there with it. But that could be dangerous..And just who, and _what_, is that thing?"

Shujiri grinned at the Scholar. "Godporing. Never saw too much of the thing on Void." He paused, sighing, then said, "We'll need someone to fly us up there with him, won't we?"

Falcone smiled his understanding and shot Ghebriel a look to convey the message.

A bit dense though the bright young man could occasionally be, he shifted his eye up to rake over their enemy and then back to Falcone. His almost imperceptible nod signaled his agreement.

Dmitri stared in awe at Ghebriel first, and then Falcone. "I hate when people have a conversation without me when it _involves_ me." he whispered to the two at his side.

Shujiri kept his chuckle as soft as possible. "It's a couples thing. Ye'll have to get used to it to hang around them, old friend."

Across from them, they could see Alex, Jeliel, and Sahari keeping the monster occupied while Yuuki sized it up, looking for a weakness. Jackel used his expertise to his advantage, helping to keep the great creature's attention directed towards himself when the other three aggravated it a bit too much. The bullets didn't seem to do much damage to it, but at least some was better than nothing. Lana and Zira went around, dodging lightning strikes, casting buffs on the small group of people around them. Ghebriel had just finished whispering a message to Pharin and the little homunculus set off towards Zira.

The trek underneath the cloud, which still spat out Lightning Bolts periodically, was a dangerous one, but he couldn't let Godporing see where he was coming from. He called Fleet Move onto himself and zipped towards the blonde man as fast as possible. Jeliel was careful to keep the strikes away from him, seeing the conspiratory behaviour in the others.

Once Pharin safely landed on the ground at Zira's feet, the High Priest slipped just to the side of Godporing's vision and knelt down to the Filir. "Yes?"

"Think you can use your wings again now?"

"I.." Zira flapped them once, experimentally. "Maybe."

"You need to try. Think you could hoist up Dummy-tree or Shu-jeers?"

Zira bit his lip slightly. "It couldn't hurt to try at this point." He looked up towards the others and nodded at them when Pharin had finished explaining the plan. Idea in mind and moves confirmed. Now he had to get to them without his path being noticed.

Jeliel's eyes caught Zira's and he slid one arm behind his back. Holding one finger up, he glanced back at him again. Zira flapped twice and nodded.

Dmitri groaned quietly. "Confirmation that I could have done without." he whispered to the redhead and bluenette nearby. The two snickered quietly.

Looking at Yuuki, Zira smiled as the words from so long ago easily flowed into his mind and drifted down onto his tongue. "_A thousand miles from home._"

Yuuki frowned, but set to work helping the others in front of Godporing keep him distracted as Zira fell back to meet the other three men. He threw the blade of his sword as far as possible, only succeeding in grazing the creature's side before Jackel's bullet repelled it back down to the ground again. The two shot each other an apologetic look.

"What's this I hear about lifting one of your heavy arses, now?" Zira whispered.

Shujiri briefly explained. They had to get close enough to attack the monster; they just couldn't do it from the ground. Eventually his quick informative summary ended and he asked "Any preference which of us ye take?"

"Which of the two of you weighs the least?" Blue eyes glanced nervously back to wings that had, not long ago, been damaged in the fight with Yuuki.

Dmitri gave a small sniff. "A gentleman never tells."

"That would mean me." Shujiri translated.

"Let's get you two up there, then." Zira stated.

Falcone took Dmitri as Zira took Shujiri, making sure he could, in fact, support their weight, and they lifted off. They were all silent as they ascended, Shujiri guiding he and Dmitri's transport friends into position by use of motions and mock-charades. Once they were far enough up and he felt their placement would suffice, he pressed a finger to his lips and moved his other hand over his body.

Dmitri took the signal and the two Cloaked as quietly as they could. Once hidden they were about to be lowered onto the cloud behind Godporing until his massive form turned in place and eyed the blonde and redhead. The Assassin Cross and Stalker found themselves wishing silently that they knew how to hide the things around them as their two friends from _The Black Dragon_ had.

Although it didn't see them holding Shujiri and Dmitri, he didn't need to; there were two members of the group that had been present before that were now absent. That meant one thing.

With a roar of fury, Godporing vanished from sight, reappearing behind the flying duo. Neither had a chance to react before he flapped his giant Angeling Wings. The rush of air they displaced sent Zira and Falcone spiraling back towards the ground, their wings unable to recover from the sudden gust. Shujiri and Dmitri jumped, hoping the loss of their weight would make it easier for their friends to correct their trajectory, and at the same time, distract the monster.

It worked; the two managed to right themselves once they no longer had to worry about their cargo and they avoided the incoming blast of Lightning as well as an unpleasant crash into the terrain.

On the ground, Jackel and Yuuki had successfully caught their enemy's attention once more. They took turns using distance to the best advantage they were respectively able while Zira took his place by Lana, calming his nerves from the sudden merry-go-round.

The blondes did a once-over on Falcone, Dmitri, and Shujiri before turning their attention towards movement in the trees. Alex and Ghebriel had made their way up two of them high enough that they were able to at least be near enough to Godporing that whatever they threw at it might hit the mark.

With a silent conversation between the lovers, Falcone and the others trudged, worried, back around to face the monster.

In the tree tops, Ghebriel motioned towards the monster, then pointed to his nose. Confused, Alex tilted his head. The Creator sighed inwardly and repeated the motion. This time he also pointed towards their friends and and slapped his gloved fist gently into the other hand's palm. Finally Alex seemed to understand and he nodded, pointing to his axe.

The silent conversation concluded quickly enough, leaving them each calculating their distance and how to make up for it. When they noted Zira and Falcone once again preparing to haul up their friends, Alex and Ghebriel began their attack, hoping to catch the Holy 'ring off guard and gain its attention.

"_Cart Termination!_"

"_Acid Demonstration!_"

Surprisingly, both attacks hit their mark..but quickly bounced back and headed right for the users. In a panic, Falcone and Zira quickly plopped the two Thief-based men down and prepared for the coming emergency they feared they would face. Lana, too, waited with baited breath even as Godporing refused to turn towards the two nuisances at its rear. It instead opted to launch an attack at Yuuki and Jeliel, who were closest.

The cart caught Alex in the torso, cracking one of his ribs on impact and knocking him from his perch. He fell to the ground hard on his side, gracelessly, landing with a loud thump that was tinged with his cry of pain as his arm broke under his weight.

Ghebriel's explosives collided with the tree and he jumped out, narrowly avoiding being hit with the flames of the blast, himself. He landed first on one foot and cried out when he felt the bones crack slightly. Quickly he shifted to the other foot, but the balance he sought was not forthcoming and instead he staggered forward a few more steps on his injury before he fell in a heap at Alex's side with a cry of pain.

Shujiri placed a hand on Falcone's arm to hold him in place but allowed Zira and Lana to rush to their fallen comrades. They would have to keep Godporing's focus off of them to allow them to work.

Sahari scooted closer to Yuuki, eying the monsters that stood or floated on the outskirts of the battle. They seemed to be waiting for something - the outcome, perhaps. _They look like they're waiting for us to lose.._

Sensing the girl's discomfort, Yuuki placed her between himself and Jeliel, setting himself closer to the demon types watching the battle. With a single motion of his sword, the majority of them on his side were vanquished.

Shujiri watched them vanish only to be replaced by more coming out from the wood work. The sight of so many of them watching for even the slightest show of weakness unnerved him more than he cared to admit. He, himself, might be able to fend off most of the different monsters present, but some of the others would have a harder time of it. If he knew Lana and Zira like he felt confident he did, their anxiety over the safety of the others would probably make them the easiest targets making them among the first to fall in a mob scenario. From there, the outlook was grim. But even he knew that up against so many monsters at once, his chances were small.

"We need'a git close 'nough to attack, but y' saw what them attacks our pals there did ended with!" Jackel yelled to Shujiri, side-stepping a blast of Holy Light fired off by the giant Poring. "How're we s'pposed'a fight if'n our moves bounce back?"

_A good question,_ Shujiri wondered silently. _I wonder if Xabel, Chrnos, and our new friends' comrade got through, or if this was as far as they got...?_

Keeping an eye firmly on Ghebriel and Zira, Falcone whispered to the male Assassin. "I have yet to spot an opening that wouldn't end poorly for one of us."

"Aye," the blue-haired man said, "I'm beginning to think the only mildly safe way around the big guy is literally _around_ him. I was curious if that's what the guy we're lookin' for did."

"Certainly a better option than the other possibility."

Ahead of them, Godporing yelled in aggravation. "_Enough_! _Your end is near! Your final moments are here..**Holy**** Flare**_**!"**

With wide eyes, Shujiri stared at Godporing as bright flashes of Holy energy began to rain from the skies in random spots. He jumped to the side to avoid one, noting with concern that bordered on fear that a crater was indented into the ground where he'd stood.**  
**

_What the Helheim-? I've never heard of that spell!_

The flashes continued to rain down around them, each narrowly missing the hapless friends.

Wary of the random bursts, Alex tried unsuccessfully to figure out a pattern to the energy. He was about to begin another inspection when one of the beams from the spell came crashing down near him, distracting him. His blue eyes widened as he watched another descend rapidly, and rather than letting himself and the woman working on him become guinea pigs to see what the spell would do, he lurched up and pressed her back, rolling them away from it. When he deemed it safe, he stood back to his feet and helped her up, his eyes on the sky.

Shujiri hurled himself at the blonde to barrel their way away from the attack. Although he had managed to save both their lives, he was concerned for the others. As long as the spell lasted they were all in danger. He had no idea how long it would continue; most spells would have burned out by now.

Jeliel, who had jumped closer in his odd dance around the magic falling from the skies, grasped Ghebriel's wrist and tugged him away from yet another bolt. He released the smaller man's wrist once he was close enough for Falcone to take and darted towards Shujiri.

"What the Helheim's powering that attack!" the magic-user hissed, eyes darting to Godporing.

"No idea," Shujiri replied simply, "But it _has_ to stop sooner or later."

Another round of the flares forced the group apart again, distancing everyone from one another. A stray flare crashed into Pharin, throwing the little homunculus from the sky and sending him crashing into the ground mercilessly. Ghebriel cried out for the Filir, but it hadn't stood a chance against such a powerful attack. Its body began to fade away and he resigned himself to accepting that he would need to bring the bird-like creature back before this was over with. The more help they had, the better their chances.

The Assassin Cross watched as the two healers ran around dodging the last of the falling beams of unnatural light, casting healing spells and boosting everyone's speed as they went. They couldn't afford to stay in one place too long for fear of being hit by one of them, but they were hard-pressed by the situation they had all found themselves in to simply hide and worry for their own safety. They felt a responsibility to the we chances of survival were much greater with the others than on their own. Alone, none of them stood a chance - not against this creature, and certainly not against Satan Morroc.

Turning his attention back to Falcone once again, the blue-haired man sighed and wracked his brain for an answer to how to handle the battle they fought. Nothing really seemed to phase the creature and he knew without a doubt that they were at a disadvantage as long as it was mounted atop that cloud.

How it was even able to stay on its perch was a mystery to the two; it must have weighed quite a bit, and clouds were anything but sturdy.

The attacks it had used on them so far suggested that, as Falcone had said, it was a Holy property, which logically meant that they would be best using the darker elements to their advantage - but first they would need to get close enough to land those hits, be it by hand or via spells. That, itself, was enough of a conundrum.

Shujiri's efforts to devise a plan with the Scholar were drowned out by the cloud-borne Poring's booming voice as it echoed around them, bringing his attention up to see what was happening.

"_Foolish humans! You dared to invade this island and you truly think you stand a chance against me? Ha! I will send you to an early grave!_"

Lightning Bolts streaked out of the cloud towards teammates, zig-zagging this way and that unpredictably. When the enemy turned its steely gaze to the two blondes, Shujiri practically heard his heart thud to a stop. _If Godporing gets them.._

Yuuki, as the fastest, started towards the two followers of Freya, Jackel and Shujiri following behind. Flashes of lightning from the cloud aimed at them forced the three to part ways again in order to search for another way to get to the blondes. However, in the end, the professional killer only really saw one option. He shot Yuuki a look, trying to communicate wordlessly what he'd decided.

The fierce glare on Yuuki's face in response signaled that the rurouni had also come to the same conclusion and, while he was less than happy with it, he understood and accepted what that meant and the potential consequences at hand.

Meanwhile, a unanimous understanding sparked across the rest of the group when Shujiri's eyes met Jeliel's with a meaningful look. The two men assumed a preparatory stance for the mad dash they would have to make.

Falcone, standing at Ghebriel's side, planted himself in a firm position on the ground, intent on keeping the flighty man as close to him as possible.

The Biochemist mentally calculated a few things and, upon coming to a conclusion, looked to Falcone and then Jackel with a nod. A soft whisper to the bespectacled male had him guiding his hand towards the floating monster to which Jackel grinned. The words formed by the red-eyed man's lips instructed him clearly as to what ammunition to switch to and his deft hands were skilled and practiced enough to quickly and flawlessly execute the instantaneous exchange.

Alex took a wary step back and fell in line close to Sahari and Dmitri who were readying their preferred weaponry at Shujiri's direction. Seeing the enemy nearly ready to launch its promised attack at the Priests, he knew they had no time to waste if they were going to enact the plan.

Whatever was going to happen, it was going to be big, and it could potentially take them all out even though the intended targets seemed to be Lady Lana and Zira. Nothing that required so long to cast was ever small or harmless - not when your opponent had already shown their propensity for repeated attacks without the slightest hint of delay or hesitation.

While the gleeful Godporing continued its eerie smile down at them all, its focus was shifted entirely on the ground directly beneath it. What it was planning was anyone's guess, but they all knew they would rather not give it time to see that plan come to fruition. Timing was critical. If even one of them came up even the slightest bit late or early then their chance of survival dropped exponentially.

The group prepared to launch their assault but they collectively felt their hearts thud to an abrupt stop when Godporing's voice shouted out, "_Holy Winds!_"

The first slices of searing pain cut into the skin of the humans as a violent wind kicked up around them, the bright intensity of it causing the monsters that had gathered around the perimeter to flinch away for fear of being harmed by the attack as well. In reaction to the onslaught, the hopeful plan fell to the wayside and disintegrated into a collection of efforts to lessen the damage done to everyone both individually and as a whole.

Trying in vain to cancel out the force of the holy gale nicking their bodies, Jeliel cast Storm Gust. The fury of the winds were entirely overwhelmed by that of Godporing's spell and the storm dissipated harmlessly. Falcone managed to stave off some of the blows to his lover with Soul Strike, though for the most part it was nothing more than a temporary deflection as the wind relentlessly continued to howl around them.

All any of them could do was brace themselves against the force of the spell and shield their faces with their arms, trying to negate the effect of the wind that stole the breath from them before it ever reached them.

Jackel trudged as quickly as he could to Dmitri, who sheltered as much of one side of Sahari as he as capable of from the blows with his body. Spreading his jacket wide, the gunman bent down and closed as much of it as possible around the other side of the frightened girl, bending the Stalker's head down to take shelter in it as well.

Shujiri and Zira, meanwhile, were doing much the same with Lady Lana, hoping the power of the spell would ebb soon. Unable to risk letting out the breath they held, knowing catching another would be difficult, neither healer could use their abilities to stop the damage or fix what was being done to the others until it eased off.

Yuuki clutched tightly to Alex and thrust his sword into the ground forcefully. Kneeling, he wrapped one arm around it carefully and pressed the man who was still slightly injured from the fall earlier between himself and the flat of the blade. He chanced a look to Jeliel, who had finally made it to his master's side and, with a content smile at the sight of the man draping his cape about the Assassin and the male Priest, focused his attention back on the task at hand.

Eventually the winds finally died down. Before any of them had the chance to react, the earth began to quake beneath their feet as the attacker immediately began to launch into another spell. The shaking grew strong enough to knock those huddled together apart and off their feet. None of them could regain their balance while the shaking continued. Blinding flashes of pain shot through them from having the dirt and rubble on the ground press against the numerous cuts littering their forms.

A loud bark of mad laughter from above sounded. "_Do you see, foolish humans? And you the traitorous monster in their midst! None of you stand a chance!_"

With everyone in no position to stop it, the next attack began to play out quickly and it was easy to see that its primary targets were the two frightened Priests. It seemed Godporing had determined that its chances of defeating them were best if the Priest and Priestess were out of the way, first.

As the closest, Shujiri and Jeliel flung themselves over the blondes as the blast of unusually bright lightning hurtled down at them.

Screams of concern came from all around and mingled with the cries of pain the blue-clad man and the magic user gave. The strike seemed to go on forever until the spell, whatever it had been, ended. Once the onslaught was over Shujiri and Jeliel gave a strained sigh, each checking to be sure the one they had protected was still safe. Then, upon concluding that their effort hadn't been in vain, both slumped down against the healers, badly injured and with shallow breaths.

Zira and Lana immediately focused their energies on the two who had saved them, alarmed to find the pulses so weak. Fear for their companions seeped through every fiber of their beings.

Another attack seemed inevitable; the others rose to their feet and prepared to fight to defend the four still situated on the ground if necessary, but Yuuki stayed still, his dark eyes trained on the enemy. His mind told him to be outraged that it had hurt his master's companions, but his instincts had kicked in and stopped him from acting out suddenly; something he saw, so trivial he wasn't even consciously aware of what it was or what to look for, had triggered a calculating reaction. Now, as he watched the other monster closely, he began to realize a familiarity in the events. That was when he realized what was happening.

_Darkness fogged everything around him, though for some reason he could still see the angry red mist that seemed to almost glow even in the pitch blackness. The colour of his hatred and resentment for those who had trapped him in such a small area. Him, a skilled warrior of a race so feared by the humans. Such fragile, prejudice creatures V**ile, disgusting selfish humans** that thought themselves to be so high above the ranks of the monsters whose only pleasure, they decided, was to torment them **Cut**** them down, show them who truly holds the higher position in this miserable world of theirs, make them bleed!**_

_Charged with the protection of such holy, sacred ground, he took his responsibility very seriously. It was he, alone, who could keep thieves **Undeserving, naive fools - murderous wrong-doing peons** from defiling it **Impure, destructive hateful creatures so full of death and destruction; they should be killed! Cut, maim, slice, gnash, dissect, stab, destroy!-**  
_

_Suddenly, for the first time in a long time, a bright light illuminated the darkness he had been swallowed in for so long. The haze began to clear and now he could see vague outlines of the shrine and its visitors.  
_

_A bit more of his vision cleared, and suddenly he could see the face of the man the light was permeating from. The blonde flinched back and he stopped, suddenly recalling a life gone by of loyalty and realizing that his part was not yet over.  
_

Understanding flooded Yuuki, and his lips moved of their own accord. "He is no longer a threat; he has broken free of the evil hold on him. Jeliel-san and Shujiri-san have set him free."  
**To Be Continued...**


	42. The Nameless Island Part 3

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **Woohoo, getting these chapters up in short order finally! XD Okay, so the rewards mentioned in this chapter are examples of the reason Godporing was such a great MvP to go after on VoidRO. While those aren't the ones he dropped, he did drop some kinds and they did have slots as well as effects/stat bonuses. I'd like to also quickly apologize for the multitude of Cowring jokes. /swt I got heck from my friends for going overboard on cow jokes recently and I kinda like how lame they are, plus it seems to me like deities need a sense of humour in order to put humans through some of the stuff they deal with because of schadenfreude (don't know what the word means? Look it up with Avenue Q. Trust me, you won't regret it.) As for themes, I know it's cheating, but we'll use Hermode's Rod just because. XD It seems to have the "Getting ready to launch into battle" feel to it. We're about half-way through the Island/Abbey mini-arc so, enjoy; after this, it's time for them to head into the abbey.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Nameless Island (Part 3)  
**Brow furrowing, Alex turned his head to face Yuuki. "Freed him?" asked the Whitesmith. "From what?"

The look Yuuki gave him was a meaningful one that told him all he needed to know, and in return, the blue-haired man nodded in silence to show he understood. He turned back to the four who were several yards away and ran over to them. Although he didn't have the ability to assist the two Priests in healing Shujiri and Jeliel, he was still concerned.

The others, having heard Yuuki's words as well, turned to look up at the floating Poring. It stared down at them, brows knitted in confusion and a frown on its face. Finally, it spoke. The voice was just as powerful as it had been during the fight, but it sounded softer - less hateful. "_What are you doing on the nameless island?_"

"Dern near gittin' killed!" Jackel shouted up at it. The Gunslinger's glare could have frozen Thor Volcano from the inside out.

A groan from Shujiri brought their attention back to him as he sat up. One hand ruffled through his wind-swept blue hair as he sat up with a little difficulty, gratefully accepting Lana's help to return upright. "Easy, Jackel." the man coaxed, wincing. "It seems he- he?" He glanced up at Godporing.

Godporing tilted to one side slightly, eyes closed, in a mimic of a shrug.

Shaking his head a bit, Shujiri continued, "It seems like our pal here was suffering from the same problem Yuuki was. Satan Morroc's influence is spreading much faster than I had anticipated."

At the evil being's name, Godporing seemed to visibly tremble with anger. "_That monster is the reason for all of this._" A heavy gaze raked across the island. When the black eyes landed on the Banshees, Hell Poodles, Ragged Zombies and Zombie Slaughters that had come to inspect the results of the battle, rage rose back up at the sight. With a single burst of energy, the monsters screamed and wailed in agony before they were banished to the underworld from which they'd come. Nothing but scraps were left behind to indicate that they had even been there.

"Aye," Shujiri agreed, frowning. "Satan Morroc destroyed the last few worlds we were born on and we've been trying to defeat him. This might be our last chance, but we're still so far behind; we need to find Rine to complete the group, but we still need to track down Chrnos and Xabel, first."

"_Chrnos? Xabel?_"

Shujiri nodded again. "We were told they were heading for this place so we came to try to find them and were heading to the abbey when ye attacked us."

Ghebriel tilted his head at floating monster, smiling a bit. "I never knew Porings had a religious system; this is fascinating!" His good eye gave the cloud Godporing sat upon a good once over, then he asked, "How is it you manage to stay perched on that cloud? You should have fallen through! Can you manipulate the airflow and use the wind to fill it with air like a cushion, like you did to use that terrifying attack?"

Shujiri glanced at Ghebriel, a brow raised. "You only just now made the connection of his name?"

Godporing quirked an eyebrow at the Biochemist's inquiry and lowered the cloud until it was close enough to the ground to whisper to Shujiri, "_Is his **head** filled with air?_"

The Assassin chuckled and Godporing raised back into the air.

Beside him, Jeliel sat up, somewhat shaky. "What hit me?"

"Lightning," Zira replied softly, touching his hand with his own for a moment before removing it and slapping the High Wizard across the face. "And now me, too. Don't ever do that again!"

Jeliel stared in scandalized shock at the High Priest. "What, you'd rather get killed? Fine, next time when something's trying to fry you ten ways till Ragnarok I'll just let you bake! Why the Helheim would you slap somebody that almost _died_!"

"He kicked you, too, remember; back when we rescued you from Lutie Field." Shujiri supplied helpfully, to which Lana giggled softly.

"It was brave of you both to save us." the woman said with a small smile, blushing faintly as she gazed into the katar-user's eyes. "Thank you."

Sighing, Zira turned to Shujiri and slapped him, a bit softer than he had Jeliel, and promptly healed both men back again. "Thank you, both, but please, be more careful next time?"

"Promise," the two men echoed each other, making Zira and Lana smile.

"_I admit, I'm impressed as well._" Godporing spoke up. "_Although I couldn't control myself to stop myself from attacking you, seeing the sacrifice you two were willing to make to save your friends broke the cloud of evil Satan Morroc's influence had over me. It reminded me what my purpose is. Porings and the humans of this world are capable of coexisting without the need to attack one another._"

Sahari muttered something, but Dmitri quickly covered her mouth with his hand, smiling as though nothing had been said at all.

Arching a brow again, Godporing turned back to Shujiri and Jeliel. "_For your assistance, I'd like to reward you._"

The two gaped at each other and then looked back up again. "Ye don't have to do that." Shujiri said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"_Have to? No. But I'd like to. Firstly, I recall you mentioning Chrnos and Xabel. Correct?_"

"Yep." Jackel confirmed with a stretch. He winced when the movements tugged at the gashes covering him from the attacks earlier.

Godporing smiled apologetically. "_Correction. First, let me make right what I did to all of you._"

A glow emitted from Godporing and drifted down, touching each individual person in the group. A familiar warm, tingly sensation of being healed passed through them. When the glow began to die down, the friends looked each other over and then themselves, realizing that their injuries had been completely healed. They even felt as if their energy had been restored, feeling rested and alert.

With the opening of round, black eyes, the glow surrounding Godporing died down entirely. "_Well, now that that's taken care of, back to Chrnos and Xabel. Who are these two?_"

"Xabel Vanhaerents is a Lord Knight under the service of King Gakudon of Prontera; he's traveling with Chrnos, the Clown."

"_Ahh. His Highness; I see. There were two people of jobs matching those that came past earlier. They just narrowly avoided my attacking them by sneaking around me and entering the abbey. By the time I saw them, they were gone; I can't fit into the building, so I stayed here to wait for them to come back. You aren't too far behind them._"

"Thank Vor for that." Falcone sighed, clasping Ghebriel's hand in his own. "Perhaps we an catch up to them, in that case."

"_I have one more blessing I want to bestow on you before you go._" Godporing put in, smiling when Shujiri looked up at him with an expression of confusion in his blue eyes. "_You, Assassin Cross, and the High Wizard. What are your names?_"

"I'm Shujiri."

"Jeliel." replied the magic user, brow arched in mock interest. What could the same creature that almost killed them possibly have to give them that could help? Holy or not, it was suspicious. Technically, something Holy shouldn't have been able to be tainted in the first place, in his opinion. Not without some level of corruption.

"_Shujiri and Jeliel, for freeing me of Satan Morroc's evil impulses, I wish to bestow on you the blessings of the heavens. You are all warriors of the gods, but with these symbols, you will be able to soar to new heights among them!_"

Again the glow picked up around Godporing as the words were spoken and the same warm, tingling feeling flooded through the two men. This time, it had a slightly different feel to it. Their muscles felt as though they were being stretched after a long, peaceful sleep while the notion of comfort and security enveloped them. The sensation was incredibly pleasant and altogether very unusual at the same time.

At length, the feeling eased and the glow dimmed to a dull halo before being snuffed out altogether. Once they were fully visible to their friends, the others released a collective gasp.

Alex timidly reached out one hand, stroking it down the part of the length of a leathery fold that was extended proudly before his eyes. He marveled at the feel of it as well as its sudden appearance, and followed the view of it to where the thin membrane connected to spines of a wing, then up and along its graceful curve and down until his eyes met with the juncture of the wing and Shujiri's back, where the two entities met.

Shujiri shuddered at the foreign sensation, brow arched. It wasn't as though it hurt, but it was entirely new to him. What was Alex _doing_, and what was he doing it _to_? "What are ye doing back there, Alex?" he inquired, turning his head to look at him. His view was obscured by what he could only describe as a wing, and when he followed it from tip to tip he noted that it was protruding from his back. A calm look to his other side informed him that, yes, he had two of them sticking out of his back and, yes, they were the same. Eyebrows lifted in mild interest, he looked to Jeliel.

Zira's fingers traced the feathers of white wings with pink tips and the tassel-like feathers dangling from the bottom of the curved edge, and he watched the movement for a moment. Jeliel gaped at the sight of them, much more expressive with his surprise than he, himself had been so far.

Looking back up to Godporing, Shujiri said simply, "We have wings."

"_You do have wings._"

"..Good. I'm not seeing things."

Godporing let out a loud laugh at this. Finally calming back down to simple chuckles, the Holy being smiled down at the warrior. "_You're not. That's my gift to you. Great Dragon's Wings, for the warrior - a symbol of strength and power that will in turn lend you their own. Flight, although a secondary gift accompanying their existence, will take practice._"

The large winged Poring winked down at him and stage whispered, "_I don't recommend jumping off any cliffs until one of your naturally-winged friends teaches the two of you the basics of flight. Falling and flying are two very different things._"

Jeliel simply made a vague, airy comment towards Ghebriel about having said the same thing, but his surprise kept him more or less subdued otherwise.

Straightening again, Godporing turned its attention back to him. "_Elemental Wings, or Fairy Burst Wings as some humans call them, for the magician - a symbol of powerful magic and command over the elements that surround you. May your magic and abilities be bolstered by the energies pumped through you by them. As with the Great Dragon Wings, flight lessons are required._"

Finally snapping out of his shocked state, Jeliel glared up at Godporing. "Fairy! I'm no fairy! I call BS; this is favouritism!"

Godporing laughed even louder at the man's outburst, although Zira smacked his arm none too gently in the effort to shut him up before he could offend or anger the intimidating figure. They'd already seen some of what the creature could do without needing to cause a further display of its power.

"_A fitting pair of wings for each of you, skill sets, innate personality, and abilities considered._" Godporing assured the two. "_You don't need to do anything to activate the power in them, either; by simply being a part of you they'll naturally give you their specific assistance._"

"Shuji-fu wasn't strong enough already, we had to give 'im scary-ass wings to make it worse?" Sahari whispered to Dmitri, snorting.

Yuuki pulled his sword from the ground, flicking it to one side. The dirt and grass flew from it as though it had been repelled by the blade itself and he sheathed it back at his side safely, walking over to the Stalker and his charge. "This is good; we are all becoming stronger the more we travel, it seems. We will need it when the time comes for the battle with Satan Morroc. The stronger we all are, the better our chances of defeating him and keeping our lives will be. A strong leader," his eyes drifted to lock onto Shujiri before he continued, "I assure you, makes for a strong group."

Jackel said nothing but nodded at the wise words, giving both his agreement and opinion in silence. He hoped Yuuki was right about them all getting stronger; they'd need to in order to be able to hold their own against the embodiment of all the evil that ran rampant in the world. _He'd_ need to get stronger, if he was going to fight for and protect the ones he cared for and get even with the ghost in his memories that had haunted his dreams for the past several years. There was no way around it; the fight was inevitable. All they could do was prepare for it as best they could and leave their fate in the hands of the gods.

_Some help they been, though. _Jackel frowned at the thought, but couldn't deny it.

Sahari, seeing the change in Jackel's face, felt her lips curve downward slightly in concern, but when she made to ask him what was going on, she was interrupted.

"_Now, you should be going if you want to catch up to the two from earlier. I'll grant you one last favour._"

"You've done so much already." Zira said, his voice soft and his smile thankful.

"_I can't purge the entire island of its evil; there's simply too much, and more seems to arrive with every passing minute. I can, however, blast everything in the courtyard into oblivion to give you all time to proceed to the main floor of the abbey after the Lord Knight and his companion._"

Now it was Falcone who spoke. "I'm not sure we know where to begin to thank you for your help."

"_No need. I'm free from Satan Morroc; for that, alone, I owe all of you more than I'm able to provide._"

Godporing's cloud lumbered slowly towards the abbey's courtyard and, setting a stern look on its face, the glow from before returned, brighter than ever. Countless wailing, screaming, and groans rose from the area and suddenly the grounds were empty save for the group and their new friend.

Once again Godporing turned to face them. "_The further into the abbey you go, the more dangerous it is, these days. The two of them alone won't stand much of a chance at all. As Cowring would put it, you should get mooooooving before they wander too far in and get hurt. Be safe and stick together._"

Shujiri nodded his understanding. "Aye. Thank ye again. For everything."

"_All of you know what's at stake if you fail perhaps better than anyone. Not to milk the drama of the situation, but the meat and potatoes of what I'm trying to say, is-_"

"We get it. No more Cowring jokes, please." Jeliel pleaded, smacking his forehead with his palm.

Godporing chuckled. "_Okay, maybe I went overboard. But there's never anyone to talk to, you see. At any rate, you should be going. Be safe, stay together, and may your gods bless you on your trip and in the final battle. Do **not** allow Satan Morroc to win._"  
**To Be Continued...**


	43. The Cursed Abbey Part 1

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **Firstly, while I'm remembering it, theme: Aeon ~Terror Scream Remix~. It's not even _for_ the abbey but it has the feeling of "something bad is about to happen and you'd better be ready to fight" that I really think fits the situation. This is a bit of a long one. I spent too much time on necessary character build-up because I couldn't find a good place to squeeze it in elsewhere. Ehn, the whole journey is about watching them get stronger and finding memories of their past lives together, so I figure it's acceptable at least.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Cursed Abbey (Part 1)  
**A winding journey across the courtyard later, Shujiri was the first to set foot into the first floor of the impressive abbey. His deep blue gaze took in his surroundings, committing them to memory as he ventured further in from the doorway. Tall columns rose from the floor to kiss the ceiling as far down the long hallway as he could see. The far end of the hall at the horizon line seemed to block off into two directions - one to the right, and one to the left. He felt the pressure behind his eyes alerting him to the growing headache this search could very easily become.

Jackel gently shooed Zira in through the door behind Dmitri, providing the uneasy blonde with the momentum to enter as well, even if not by choice. He and Sahari followed behind them.

Not far behind, Falcone was busying himself exchanging tidbits of information about the island with Ghebriel, both talking in excited whispers so as not to draw the attention of any nearby monsters that hadn't already spotted their little rag tag band. Pharin, having been Resurrected by his master, wished direly that he could roll his eyes; as it was, he settled for gently hiding his face behind one wing and shaking his head in slow aggravation at what he was forced to live with on a daily basis.

Alex, Yuuki, and Jeliel accompanied Lady Lana at the rear, each of the three keeping a wary eye on their surroundings. If the outside had been as bad as it was, they severely doubted the inside could have fared much better with the overrun of monsters on the island. They feared for whatever had happened to the people who inhabited the once thriving area, but they knew there was little that could be done for them now.

Shujiri turned to face everyone once they were all inside and, wary of Godporing's comment that the monsters seemed to replenish their numbers almost as fast as they were destroyed, moved back to silently close the doors behind them. It was best if they needed only to worry about the directions ahead of them without having to fret about the way they'd come in as well.

Satisfied, the Assassin Cross crossed his arms and, with a last inspection of the immediate area, nodded at his confirmation that there were no enemies directly nearby. Knowing he could now speak somewhat openly, he also knew it had to be brief; they couldn't risk more monsters that could be roaming the halls coming across them and taking them by surprise. It was best if they got moving again and didn't stay in one place for too long, even if it increased their risk of running into the monsters themselves.

"This place is huge." Sahari said in awe, gazing up at the ceiling and turning in a semi-circle. "And creepy," she added as an after thought, noting the dark hue the walls that should have been pristine and inviting held. It was as if the very walls of the abbey itself had been tainted and distorted by the evil filling it, and she wasn't about to put anything past the realm of possibility, all things considered.

"Aye," Shujiri agreed. "We need to get moving and find Xabel and Chrnos. We can't stay still for long; we run the risk of being ambushed if we do. It looks like the end of this hall," he jerked his head back over his shoulder in emphasis, "Forks off to the left and right. We need to decide if we're going to pick a direction and just go, or if we should split up and cover more ground that way."

Instantly, Zira voiced his preference on the matter, arms lacing tightly around Dmitri's and gripping for all he was worth in an unconscious effort to let some of the near-paralyzing fear flow out of him. "I vote we stick t'gether. Safety an' numbers, an' all that.." The Priest's weak voice trailed off as he glanced around nervously. He hated the sensation that even the fine, intricate details carved into the walls into the walls were staring at them - watching them for any signs of weakness.

Shujiri chuckled, shaking his head at the reemergence of his friend's normally well-hidden accent in his frightened state. Sahari giggled and clapped at the sight of it, babbling to Jackel about how cute the display was and devising various 'plot twists' for the 'love triangle' of Jeliel-Zira-Dmitri in her mind.

Jeliel just glared the fires of Thor at the Stalker, who flinched under the intense, angry stare of the High Wizard.

Clearing his throat, Shujiri looked to everyone else, hoping to get their attention back to the matter at hand. "Anybody else for splitting up, or would you prefer to stick together?"

Concerned, Falcone and Lana exchanged a look.

"I think I agree with Zira." Lana said softly. "It's safer to be together, just in case we run into anything that we couldn't handle if we separated."

Shujiri opened his mouth to speak, but Jackel patted her shoulder reassuringly as he grinned at her, saying, "Ain't nothin' 'round these parts I cain't take down fer ya missy, if'n it'll keep ya safe."

She smiled appreciatively and now it was Sahari's turn to glare. Shujiri bit down slightly on the inside of his cheek to remain silent, reminding himself of his earlier observations.

Pharin snorted at the gun master's words. "Yeah, of course there's not. You totally took down that big bad Godporing outside. Single handedly, too! I never saw anything like it before!"

Jackel shot a fierce, meaningful _look_ at Pharin, flushed with irritation. Pharin tweeted gleefully at his discomfort.

Lana, hoping to assuage the Gunslinger's ruffled pride, patted his hand as it rested on her shoulder and gave him a friendly, warm smile. "You did just as well out there as the rest of us, Jackel. Don't let him get under your skin."

Pharin laughed out loud at that. "Just as well as the rest of you, eh? HA! Where do I start with _that_ kind of gold nugget?"

Ghebriel softly flicked the Filir's beak, giving him a look that told the small creature to give the man a break for once. Shaking his head, Pharin relented, promising himself it was just this once and that the only reason he did it was because his master said so.

"Despite the little exchange just now, I agree, too." Alex piped up. He just barely restrained an amused smile from emerging on his face at the whole comical scene.

"That's three for sticking together." Shujiri tallied, glancing around at the others. "Anybody else?"

Pharin tweeted indignantly. "What about me, ass-hat! I _clearly_ made it obvious I think splitting up is the suicidal horror movie thing to do!"

Rolling his eyes, the professional killer amended, "Okay, four." He shook his head. "Anyone else?"

Glancing to each other, Ghebriel and Falcone lifted an arm in unison, "We had no idea Godporing was out there earlier, as big as that thing was." Falcone explained, lowering his hand back to his side with Ghebriel's and then taking the Biochemist's hand in his own. "We have no way of knowing if something just as strong as him, if not stronger, is lurking somewhere inside this abbey. For safety's sake, and ease of communication, our vote is cast for staying together."

Dmitri and Sahari nodded. "Same," they chorused.

"Guess we're goin' together." Jackel said.

"Jeliel?"

"Together." the aggravated magician murmured, still glaring hatefully at the unrelenting grip Zira had on Dmitri's arm.

Blue eyes traveled to Yuuki, who was silently taking in the exchange. "You're part of the party too, Yuuki." Shujiri said softly, noting the nigh imperceptible start his words gave the rurouni. "Accidents are accidents, we all have 'em now and then. Care to stop hanging at the fringe like a scaredy Nekoring and join the decision making?"

Dark eyes blinked slowly, owlishly, at the man's words. Finally, Yuuki offered a small smile as he stepped forward a few paces, stopping just behind Lana and Alex.

"Opinion?"

"They are right, of course, Shujiri-san. It would be much safer to stay together here. While Godporing was a strong, dangerous opponent, he was not inherently evil."

"The things here are." Alex edged in.

Seeing the troubled look on the demi-human's face, Shujiri's expression darkened in understanding. "The place _itself_ feels evil." Yuuki explained in a low voice, scanning the area around them. "It is unsafe to divide our strength in half by halving the number of people going in any direction. If we are to find them, it would be best if we stayed together and played to one another's strengths, rather than separating and revealing our weaknesses." The long-haired monster shot an apologetic look to his master, who only shuddered and pushed himself closer to the body beside him.

"Well, glad that's settled." Shujiri announced, turning to stare down the hall. "Which way first?"

"We could always decide it by-" Ghebriel began.

Pharin covered the man's mouth with his wing, his eyes also staring down the hall rather than at his master as he spoke. "Nobody wants to hang their lives on a game of eeny meeny miny moe."

Shujiri chuckled. "Actually, that's not an entirely bad idea."

"..You're not serious."

"Why not?"

"Because you _can't_ be serious."

"Why can't I?"

"..Ignoring the opening you just gave me? Because _that's insane_! What if that stupid game picks the wrong direction and you walk us all head-on into a wall of blood-thirsty.._somethings_?"

Zira whimpered.

"What if we just pick a direction and do the same thing?" Shujiri countered with a shrug, frowning. "Our chances are just as good actually picking a direction as they are letting fate decide."

"Fate's been so _kind_ to you these past few lives, eh? Yeah, let it decide if we die here or later on. Good idea."

"We currently lack a better option." Falcone added to Shujiri's side of the debate. "Either way, we're as likely to find them as we are to be attacked, mauled, and eaten."

Zira's whimper was even more pitiful this time, and sounded more like a cross between a whimper and a whine.

Sahari snickered at the blonde's anxiety.

Pharin slapped his face with his wing and, adjusting a few ruffled feathers back into place, took a deep breath to calm down. "Okay, fine, Captain Sin. We'll do it your way. If we get eaten, don't say I didn't warn you that this was suicide."

Shujiri didn't hear him; he was already on his way down the hall with the others in tow.

A few minutes of silent walking had even Shujiri becoming a touch on the edgy side. They hadn't found any monsters yet, for which he was grateful, but the area outside had been swarming with them. By all rights, they should have run into at least one of some kind by now. This silence made him feel as if something was going on that he wasn't clued in on - something big, bad, and more likely than not very, very hazardous to their health.

A low groan from the left corridor just ahead of them made Shujiri halt in mid-step. He threw an arm out silently to stop the others from proceeding ahead of him. The groan came again, followed by the sound of lumbering, sliding steps. It sounded as if something were being dragged across the floor. The groaning came again, but this time it was overlapped by a second.

Aware that his closest friend was fairly vibrating with fear behind him, Shujiri took a reassuring step back with the silence of a seasoned Assassin.

Like Lana, Zira was an important member of the team and he needed to be close enough to act if something happened, but his instincts were also combated with those of the part of his mind that told him that his friends, particularly the blonde, were becoming more and more frightened and that he desired to protect them from that fear. So, he compromised; he placed a comforting hand on the cerulean-eyed High Priest's arm, gently maneuvering him better between himself and Dmitri. A short look to Alex and Yuuki told them to do the same with the Priestess.

When the sources of the sounds rounded the corner, Jackel swiftly stuffed his hand over Zira's mouth, muffling almost entirely the scream that came up. Although the Ragged Zombie and Zombie Slaughter hadn't heard the lithe male, they _had_ seen the group of people standing in front of them. Their advance quickened and the dragging sound was all but gone now that they'd locked in on targets to unleash their rage on.

Shujiri widened his stance, preparing to attack when they got within distance of any ability he possessed or within physical striking range.

The first zombie made it to the Assassin Cross and was easily struck down by a couple of blows from Shujiri's Inverse Scale katar. It fell to the ground in pieces, vanishing into dust and leaving behind a pile of things Shujiri mentally mused that Rine would have snatched up and sold for a lofty price, had he been present. He chuckled and made a note to himself to bring him here when the ordeal with Satan Morroc was over.

The Zombie Slaughter seemed undeterred by the fall of its comrade, simply continuing its journey towards the group. With its arm raised, the shotel it held was cast into better light and Ghebriel resisted the urge to feel for Vor and Thor to make sure they were still present at his side and on his back.

A few more zombies ambled up to the edge of the hall, also easily spotting the humans in their midst. They, too, joined the assault.

Shujiri took down two more of them while Dmitri wrapped his arms around the blonde in front of him's shoulders and fired an arrow into the eye of the one closest to him. He smiled at the sickeningly squishy sound it made as it passed through the eyeball and the brain, sailing through the back of the skull to embed itself in the forehead of a second Ragged Zombie. Both of them dropped like a sack of potatoes and withered to dust.

Lana shouted something to Zira and it took the man a moment to process her words but at last he regained control of his body to move. The two began firing off rounds of 'Heal' and 'Holy Light' on the zombies, each injuring them significantly and making them all the easier for the rest of the group to dispatch of in the process.

"_Signum Crucis_!"

"_Assumptio_!"

"_Sanctuary_!"

"_Gloria_!"

"_Soul Breaker_!"

"_Enchant Deadly Poison_!"

"_Soul Drain_! _Amplify Magic Power_! _Jupitel Thunder_!"

"_Double Casting_! _Fire Bolt_!"

"_Disarm_! _Piercing Shot_!"

"_Adrenaline Rush_! _Cart Boost_! _Cart Termination_!"

"_Full Strip_! _Hide_! _Raid_!"

"Pharin, _Moonlight_! _Acid Demonstration_!"

With the occasional supportive spell thrown in between calls of 'Heal', the group felt confident they could take down the small crowd of monsters that had gathered around them now. Wait..

..Crowd?

Startled at the sudden mass of enemies ahead of them, Shujiri cursed himself for not paying better attention to the end of the hall to notice when more of those things started arriving behind the others. They were surrounded and that wasn't good.

Jeliel leaped back from the snapping jaws of a zombie, narrowly avoiding having its hungry mouth sink its rotting, yellowed teeth into a fragile wing tip. He cried out in surprise as another made the exact same attempt.

Zira hissed instructions on how to fold their wings against their backs to keep them out of the way to Shujiri and Jeliel, thankful for small miracles that the two were relatively quick learners and had no difficulty in doing as they were told. With everyone's more sensitive extremities out of the direct danger zone, now they could more fully focus on the offensive and defensive side of things.

"Oh, Freya, we're in a bad way.." Zira muttered, shivering as he took in the sheer amount of zombies, and now Flame Skulls, too, that had amassed around them.

With so many gnashing, gaping maws and flailing limbs with deadly weapons directed at them, the group was feeling a little nervous. Their distance attacks were being quickly limited down to a select few up-close and personal attacks now that the closeness of their targets endangered their companions should they use anything else.

Jackel's honey eyes scanned the monsters, all of the zombies appearing to look just like the next. None of them in particular stood out to him which made it harder to specifically narrow down his options and single out a target. With so many threats at such a close range, each one was as dangerous as the next and it was beginning to overwhelm him.

Sahari's startled outcry brought his attention back directly in front of him and he cursed aloud when he came nose to nose with one of the zombies that had taken advantage of his temporary distraction and gotten way too close under his radar. Without a beat of hesitation, and with the speed befitting of a Gunslinger bearing the title 'Fastest Gun in Rune-Midgard,' Jackel lifted his revolver from his side and pressed his arm between himself and the zombie. The barrel of the gun facing upwards against the Ragged Zombie's lower jaw, he fired off a single shot. Any further towards himself and the horned man would have grazed himself with the bullet as well.

The zombie groaned in pain as the bullet pierced its skin and cracked the bone long-ways across the jaw, splitting it completely and dislocating it from its position. The bullet passed through the zombie's nose, avoiding the vital part the skull protected. Its jaw wasn't as lucky, however, as the bottom half fell to the floor, cracking the bone inside it further and dislodging a few teeth.

Jackel fired the gun one more time, this time into the zombie's temple. It fell to the ground with the thump of a dead body and, like those before it, crumbled into dust.

Sahari was becoming ever more nervous as the monsters closed in tighter and tighter around them. The odds seemed heavily stacked against them in this situation and she thought for a moment on what it would be like to die in a scenario like this. She realized grimly that she may not have to wonder for much longer.

The young Assassin looked desperately up at Dmitri, who was far more concerned with shaking himself free from the grip of a Banshee and one of the Ragged Zombies in the here and now than with a not-so-distant future.

A voice came to her mind, though she wasn't sure whose it was because she certainly didn't recognize it as anyone among the group, whispering in a joking tone words that seemed obvious enough. Even so, they stoked the fire for her desire to survive higher, even as it had been flickering weakly and on the verge of being extinguished before.

"_It doesn't do you any good to worry about the future's problems if you're in trouble in the present_!"

Her burgundy eyes flicked to Shujiri, hoping to see him fairing better than the others were at present. He was, to an extent, but only mildly; there were too many monsters too close to use his more effective, most powerful skills; he was virtually limited to physical attacks and the odd Soul Breaker; meteor Assault held too large a risk that it could hit one of his friends in the crossfire.

Behind them, she saw Yuuki slashing at the throng of the undead that had looped around to surround them and attack from the rear. He seemed to have gained a bit of ground but he was reluctant to take that advantage; if he stepped away from the others, they were left wide open from the back to the unholy onslaught and so was he. Even the oriental warrior seemed severely limited in what he was able to do to help, given his close proximity to the others, and she could see him becoming more frustrated at being so severely handicapped. His scowl, which fluctuated occasionally into a dark glare and then a sneer before morphing seamlessly back into a scowl, worried her a bit, but she wasn't sure what was bothering him

She wasn't sure she _wanted_ to know, either.

Turning her eyes to Falcone and Jeliel, they seemed to be having slightly more luck. Their magic was doing well against the zombies; fire worked amazingly well, considering they lit up so easily and burned so quickly, and sometimes one of the two casters would get lucky and the splash-back of the bolt or ball of fire would light up another of the surrounding enemies.

A Fire Wall was an effective way to hold back the enemies, but it only lasted for a short time. Eventually it burned out, and it seemed that each time this happened, the monsters would move in further as if they thought getting close enough to impede movement would hinder their ability to cast those dangerous spells.

She was struck with a tingling sensation of dread when the awareness struck her that, yes, that logic appeared to be working.

Even Alex and Ghebriel had resorted to axes and shotels to assist in the fighting, leaving Pharin to attack from above. The homunculus had reservations about pecking at them, unsure what kinds of diseases and bacteria these things carried, but he knew that if he died, his master could just bring him back, right as rain. Humans couldn't do that with each other without High Priests around, and if that holy link to the gods was dead, themselves, then they were screwed.

Running low on space, the group's attacks began to slack and lose both power and efficiency. Even Shujiri and Jeliel, whose wings blessed them with enhanced ability in their specific fields of expertise, were running low on what they could do after the stress and limits of the situation. There was only so much any of them were capable of without the danger of harming each other.

Sahari nudged Lady Lana in the side gently as the two women and Zira were herded more into the center of the group and away from immediate danger. When she had her attention, the younger female smacked Zira's arm to get his, too.

When both blondes had their eyes on her, Sahari asked desperately, "Can't one of you do something? Blast them with Holy Light, obliterate them with Heal, _something_? You're holy people, right?"

Lana and Zira shared identical looks of distress. Lana spoke up. "I'm almost out of energy, Sahari...We've been healing and buffing up the others since this mess started and none of us have had more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep over the past couple of days. There's only so much we can do.."

Sahari turned her pleading eyes to Zira.

A heart breaking sensation of déjà vu encompassed him as he looked up from her and around to his friends. He took in their individual situations and then surveyed the scenario as a group and easily realized why the sinking feeling in his stomach was present.

_"At least most of your friends won't remember your failure if you're reborn; most of them died before you, didn't they? It's a pity we had to be on different sides; you really are a pretty thing."_

Jeliel frowned at the distant look in the clouded blue eyes of the healer and smacked him on the back of the head. "Snap out of it!" he demanded. "We have to think of something or this is it, do you hear me? I don't want to go down like this!"

The desperacy in Jeliel's voice went unnoticed by Zira, although his lecture and the smack to the head had jolted him out of the memory that had consumed him. He shot a look to Shujiri, who seemed to be racking his brain for a way to rectify the situation, but the events were happening too fast to come up with something so quickly.

Frustrated, Sahari whacked Zira again. "Think!"

"Ow! You can really stop that now, that's starting to-" Zira began.

"Quit complaining and think!" Jeliel and Sahari hissed in unison as the High Wizard whacked his companion again.

"Ouch! I mean it, stop that!"

Each word followed by yet another smack to the head or shoulder from the girl and the older man, their voices chorused desperately. ""Think, think, think! Think of somethi-"

Growling, Zira stamped his foot on the ground hard, screaming as loud as possible. "STOP BLOODY HITTING ME!"

No sooner than his foot hit the ground, a bright pool of white, warm light pooled at the Priest's feet and spread outwards around him in what could only be described as a ripple like that on the surface of a lake.

Surprise and recognition lit in the eyes of his companions as the warmth and the feeling of safety associated with Holy magic flooded them and they were left with just one question: How had the healer used one of his "prayer" spells without using the casting words? It had been so quickly done, too...

The memory of Jeliel doing the same after the sinking of _The Black Dragon_ came to mind as vividly as if it had only just happened yesterday.

Falcone's mind raced with possible explanations, but in the end, he could think of no sensible, logic-driven reason for them to suddenly manifest the ability to instantly cast their spells. The inkling of a thought came to mind - a voice barely at a whisper, telling him about a friendly rivalry and nudging him towards a hidden door in his memory that he swore he didn't remember being there, much less locking it.

His vivid red eyes met Shujiri's striking blue ones, squinted against the sheer brilliance of the light. Both men watched with growing elation as the monsters that stood or hovered in the areas the light touched howled in blazing agony. The forms seemed to almost flicker for a moment, as if they were made of holograms, then began to crumble to dust which fell to the floor and all but vanished under the strength of the spell.

The monsters surrounding them, just out of reach of the spell's magical field, recoiled in fear at the sight of what might befall them if it touched them. A Flame Skull and some of the Banshees that had gathered around the friends turned and left altogether, not wanting to be caught in the spell. What few groups were left backed away further, waiting for the skill to wear off.

"I hadn't thought of Magnus Exorcismus!" Lady Lana cried out happily, surprised. "I didn't know it would work on Undead types.."

"Good call on the spell." Shujiri commented.

"Yes," agreed Ghebriel, "But how was it cast without the trigger words or incantation?"

Zira frowned at this. "I'm really not sure of that one, myself. In all honesty, I had forgotten I knew that one; it's been so long since I needed to use it..."

Shujiri's nod spoke of understanding. "Void?"

The fair-skinned man nodded in reply. "Devil's Square."

"Well, don't just stand there patting yourselves on the backs!" came Pharin's reprimand as he took to the air once again. "Use the damn Holy spell again, why don't you!"

Neither Zira nor Lana needed to be told twice. The male took the lead, motioning his hand towards various areas still inhabited by the monsters and the single _thought_ of the spell sent Holy powers coursing through his veins and outward towards them. Lana, though a bit more drained on energy for having exhausted her magic supply with more group-central spells, threw out as many rounds of Magnus Exorcismus as quickly as possible to assist him. Their smiles brightened as the number of Ragged Zombies and Zombie Slaughters decreased significantly.

Presented with an opening, the others leaped full force back into the battle. Alex swung his cart at a few zombies, throwing them back several paces - and into Lana's spell. Pharin and Ghebriel wove around one another's movements, the homunculus casting Fleet Move and Over Speed on himself and Moonlight on the enemies while the 'Chemist threw round after round of Acid Demonstration at them Shujiri's katar sliced through monster after monster, occasionally snagging a few nearby zombies or Banshees with the back splash of the Holy energy that surrounded it. Even Sahari was once more confidently slashing out at them with Meteor Assault and delighting in the damage it caused.

Falcone and Jeliel stood practically back to back with each man casting his own spells; the Professor kept the ones closer from attacking them or the others while the winged High Wizard's command over the arctic winds kept the creatures from getting close enough again to _need_ Falcone's assistance. Lastly, Dmitri and Jackel kept Yuuki covered as he wove through the throng of what remained of the monsters behind the group. The bowman's arrows flew through the air and hit their intended targets even as Yuuki's erratic movements forced the two men to continuously adjust their aim to avoid hitting them as well.

The group collectively realized that even as the final zombie fell, leaving the hall clear, they needed to keep this momentum going in order to go deeper and find the Clown and his body guard. Once they had all taken a moment to calm down, catch their breath, and silently steps guided them down the turn on the right, down another hall, past a few rooms, and to a third hall. Still, there was no sign of the two.

"They have to be here somewhere." murmured Pharin. "The huge floating jello outside said they came in, and I don't know about you, but I haven't seen them sneak out past us."

Ghebriel smiled over to the Filir, his tone bright and conversational. "What if they warped out before we got here? If they ran into the same problem we just did-"

Everyone came to an abrupt stop in favour of staring, horrified, at the flighty genius.

"I don't even want to think about how much that scenario sucks." Sahari hissed at the bird-like creature and his master.

Shujiri frowned. "Aye, me either. They have to be here somewhere. We just have to keep looking until we find them."

Before the group could resume their search, a sound forced them to pause once again. It sounded distant, though not so far as to not be able to tell that it sounded almost like sobbing. With the abbey so dangerous, there was no way someone could have been hiding there all this time, was there?

"What was that?" Lana asked Shujiri in a soft whisper.

"Dunno. Come on and we'll find out."

Their footsteps were quiet as they slowly ventured down the corridor and made it to another hall. The sound was getting louder and no they could hear the distinct screaming of several Banshees as well. Spells and weapons were readied, then Shujiri stepped out into that new hall, his friends close behind him. Then, they stopped. And stared.

There, at the end of the hall several meters away from them, was the figure of a man. His clothes were tattered as though they'd been ripped during a heated battle, his hair disheveled. He was pale, but in the eerie lighting of the abbey (itself a curiosity, as no one had inhabited it in some time to maintain the light fixtures and torches that lined the walls), his skin seemed to have a somewhat faint blue-purple hue. One large hand covered his face as the other arm dangled, limp, down by his side.

Lana gasped at the sight of the man, her mind instantly clicking onto his name. She covered her mouth to stop the scream from coming out, muffling it just enough that the monsters and the man didn't seem to hear her. Her teammates heard her clearly enough. "Hibram!"

Falcone's sharp eyes locked onto hers at this. "Hibram? The bishop?"

"Aye." Shujiri confirmed, staring at the man. "Bishop Hibram. But not as we know him.."

"What's wrong with him..?" Zira timidly questioned. His eyes raked over the ratty, battered form of the holy man before them. "He looks so-"

A mighty wail from Hibram stopped the conversation momentarily. Whatever was wrong, he was incredibly upset - perhaps extremely frightened, given that there were Banshees circling around him as if they were waiting for something.

"What's wrong with him?" Sahari inquired. Her burgundy eyes slowly took in the details of the man just down the hall from them, feeling the need to restate Zira's previous question. She didn't know much about the lifestyles of the men and women of Freya and the other gods, but she knew something was off about this one. She could feel it almost instinctively. Though younger and much less experienced than Shujiri, her training told her what her eyes saw was only one layer of a darker truth.

"Ain't good, whutever it is." Jackel's voice soothed her nerves slightly, although the words themselves grazed her nerves once again.

Hibram's crying seemed to taper off for a moment, but it quickly rose up the scale to an almost musical cry of anguish and despair.

Suddenly, the movement of a purple-y mist at Hibram's back caught everyone's attention. It seemed to be growing bigger and it kept shifting size and shape, growing and solidifying until it was only vaguely translucent. Arms wrapped around the man's body, spindly and abnormally long and tipped with what looked like elongated fingers on each hand. A laughing mouth crept into view, then two round, hollow eyes that seemed to glow with a mysterious, dark light from within the sockets.

The friends looked on in horror and stepped back. Even Shujiri found himself taking a pace backwards to put more distance between himself and whatever that thing clinging to Hibram was. All he knew was that it wasn't normal - wasn't human, and that with the events going on in the world and the pieces of what they'd seen in the abbey so far, it couldn't be good.

Hibram's cries started up again. The sounds became more and more despairing with each one and, taking pleasure in his pain, the odd demon-like spirit cackled joyously once more. The laughter rose in intensity and volume until it bounced off the walls in a pitch equally as deafening as though trying to match it and respond.

Then, without warning, all sound stopped entirely. Hibram's sobbing had subsided, the demon's wild laughter ceased, and the echoes of its enjoyment were snipped short in perfect time with the end of the demon's actual laugh. Even the Banshees, still circling the air around Hibram and with their eyes still trained intently on him, uttered not a single cry.

Slowly, Hibram and the demonic spirit both spun in place to face the abbey's intruders, a blank yet calculating look on their faces. Hibram seemed to be waiting for something and the demon seemed intent on making him wait for as long as it wanted.

A shiver ran collectively down the backs of the Assassin Cross and his friends at the utter _wrongness_ in how the situation looked and felt.

As if synchronized, the spirit and Hibram came to a stop finally when they were fully facing the others. The forlorn bishop's stare, formerly vacant and deprived of emotion despite his incessant mournful sobbing, became suddenly one of a man who had found a long-lost family treasure. His eyes widened as they scanned the faces of the people across from him, then stopped abruptly when they came across one of them in particular who caught his attention.

The bishop's shoulders shook once, only slightly. Then they shook again. Alex was convinced he was about to start crying again, but what he heard instead froze his blood in his veins and slapped him in the face with a tingle of terror that he'd never before experienced to such a degree.

At first, the strange bishop's laughter began as a shaky giggle. Slowly his eyes became more singularly locked on just one person and the giggle grew into a fledgeling chuckle, which grew from there into all-out laughter. Even this continued to rise to a crescendo until the laughter was indistinguishable from his earlier sobbing fit.

The sound was strange and more than simply terrifying; the undercurrent of fear and the complete, unquestionable _instability_ of it washed over the group and intensified their anxiety about the situation they'd found themselves in. It wasn't the laugh of a jolly human being, or the laugh of a nervous date, nor that of a man hearing a good joke for the first time. Instead, it was something that sounded twisted - verging on evil. It was a madman's laugh, giddy and pitched much higher than necessary and still somehow filled with _sorrow_.

That sound continued for a time until he finally opened his mouth to speak, and when he did, even his voice shook with the mighty tremors of his deranged laughter. "Come back...You..you've come..back..Haha.." The man's voice echoed the mirth of the spirit attached to him, clinging to him like a life line, and the humans realized suddenly that the two entities had long been one in the same. "You're back! Hahaha..! Back to taint the impure... Hahaha..HahahaHAHAHAHAHAHA_HAHA_!"  
**To Be Continued...**


	44. The Cursed Abbey Part 2

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **Okay, so, just to be clear - I've rarely fought Hibram; he was usually dead by the time I got to the abbey, and believe me, I stalked that bastard enough to know. So I don't remember much about what some of his skills do nor what skills have the best effect on him. I'm sorry if the chapter is "somewhat" off for it. Also, I'm not familiar with the story behind Hibram, so I, of course, invented one. xD Don't kill me for it later down the road when it gets revealed. All will make sense eventually!...Sort of! Lastly, I haven't done enough research on Norse mythology to know if they had a similar thought of demons as "modern" religions, but since Priests can have skills called "Gloria" and "Angelus" and be decked out with crosses, they can be trained in Catholic/Christian demons and exorcisms (in itself another spell name, looky there.) ...Besides; Zira carries a _scythe_. That's as Priest-like as cussing like a sailor (-cough-Hughes-cough-), ignoring Duo Maxwell. So there ye go. Anyhow, on with the show. I don't know a really good theme here so let's just go with "Cursed Monastery" again, ehn? Three guesses where it's from...

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Forty: The Cursed Abbey (Part 2)  
**Hibram's laughter finally died down to a low, rumbling chuckle as he took a step in their direction. His gait faltered slightly and he stumbled. He recovered quickly enough, staggering a few paces before correcting his direction and heading straight towards Shujiri and Zira as his speed kicked up to something just under a drunken sprint.

The two immediately tensed up, preparing to attack or defend based on whatever was necessary, but didn't make a move to retreat back to the safety of the group. They logically knew an attack was coming, although they couldn't see any particular pattern in his behaviour to indicate one _was_ coming. Other than being manipulated by the demon spirit that stayed latched onto him, of course.

When the man finally got close enough to them, he slowed down to the pace of a near crawl. His giggling came back, though this time it was softer and much quieter, as if he'd seen something funny. His footsteps were still clumsy, but he remained at that pace as he crept closer to the party of friends. His eyes zipped across every face present, darting around without purpose, then he sighed when they landed back to the center again.

"What's his problem?" Sahari nervously inquired, edging closer to Dmitri and Jackel. "He sounds crazy!"

"I think it's the influence of whatever that thing is that has him." Ghebriel replied, his expression curious and thoughtful. "But what _is_ it, is a better question."

Lady Lana drew the sign of the cross against her chess in silence as Shujiri spoke up. "That thing isn't just a monster. I know that much; whatever those Banshees are doing there, they aren't attacking him. It's not because he's one of them, but because that thing is _like_ them - it's evil."

"So they're on the same side, then."

"More or less. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,' right, Dmitri?"

The Stalker smirked at the Assassin's words and gave him an approving nod. "One of my favourite mottos."

"That don't answer what's wrong with 'um, pardner. It don't tell us what that thing is, neither." Jackel reminded the two men with a frown.

"Easy," Shujiri assured him.

Zira, watching as the fallen bishop slowly stopped moving towards them altogether in favour of just staring at them, answered for his closest friend. "He's possessed, and that _thing_ is a real, live demon."

Lana moved closer to Shujiri, her nerves getting the better of her. "What in Rune-Midgard could have possibly caused it to come here, though?"

"I'm not sure, but look at this place; it's _crawling_ with demon and undead types. It's not too much of a stretch to think that something happened when the monsters started cropping up on this island that lured it here. There must have been some kind of impurity on the grounds that it could take advantage of and enlarge in order for it to still be able to stay here."

Shujiri agreed, nodding his head as he placed a reassuring hand on the small of the Priestess's back. "When we first got here, did ye notice how much darker the place seemed, even in the light?" he asked. "I think that demon's evil tainted the abbey and bled into the walls."

Alex gave his affirmative to this. "That thing might have even lured the monsters here, instead of the other way around."

All conversation halted as Hibram's wavering voice floated across to them from the few feet away he stood. His lips were turned up in a twisted mixture of a hopeful smile and a frown, his hands trembling at his sides. "Ah...Come to play, have you..? Haha..Haha...Lovely, lovely! Still so..so lovely...Still so sinful, so pure and.."

With each word that fell from his lips Sahari became more terrified. She pressed herself as close to Dmitri and Jackel as she could, clutching their arms tightly in her small hands. "Gawd, someone, make him shut up! Make him stop! That's so creepy!"

Hibram slowly moved towards them again. His hand outstretched, he shakily reached out as if he meant to try to touch someone. The motion was slow and shaky, almost like one would do to approach a frightened animal. His dark eyes shone brightly, standing out in stark contrast to the dark circles under his eyes from who knew how long of crying and the lack of sleep the demon spirit's torment incurred.

The dark sandy-brown-haired bishop's words continued to tumble from his lips, sometimes slurred and at other times perfectly crisp and easy to understand. It was his final words that truly made the fighters nervous, not because they made sense to them in any way, but because of the dark undertone that they carried. "Blasphemous words...Such unholy words from unholy lips.."

Hibram stepped closer, his arm outstretched as if he meant to touch someone. The shaky limb drew closer as he moved forward, his eyes staring through each of the men and women until their nerves could no longer permit such closeness from such a dangerous opponent. The man, himself, was harmless enough; the demon latched onto him, however, was not.

Shujiri didn't allow him the chance to move any further; he struck out with his katar, slicing the air between himself and the possessed man. It caused Hibram to stagger back a bit, putting distance between them again, and the energy behind the movement slashed a long gash across the taller, wide-eyed man's arm.

Hibram stared at the wound, his eyes reflecting only curiosity in place of pain. The arm twisted a bit this way and that as he surveyed the damage and noted the blood dripping from his body to the ground at his feet. One long finger ran up the length of the cut, swiping a bit of the red liquid off, then brought it up to his face. At the sight of it, Hibram's expression of wonderment transformed into a wild grin and he looked up to the group ahead of him, closing his fingers into a loose fist and thus smearing the blood across his palm.

The Banshees hovering around Hibram seemed to be broken from their silent reverie at the sight of the blood and they lunged forward, slashing wildly at the fighters with ragged claws. They paid no heed to Hibram or his actions; their screams drowned out the beginning rise of his laughter.

Hibram jumped forward and joined in the assault as well, using the talents taught to him in his days as an Acolyte, back before he'd advanced to the rank of Bishop, to deal damage to his new-found opponents.

Meanwhile, Shujiri's mind reeled from the sudden change in the man. He'd gone from sorrowful, to laughing, to insane, to attacking with seemingly no trigger for either display; he was going on impulses - ones sent to him from the demon clinging to him. He wasn't sure attacking full-force was the right thing to do, but he didn't want to leave it up to chance that the evil spirit controlling Hibram might or might not hold back. From experience he knew the likelihood of that was slim. Hibram was still a human, despite the possession; he was susceptible to pain and emotions. The demon was not

The Assassin Cross could not reach a real conclusion on how to approach the situation so he simply let his instinct take over, his arms and legs moving of their own accord and nimbly avoiding most of the attacks thrown at him by the Banshees. He cut through a few of them only to see more spawning from the remains of those he vanquished.

Jeliel held his hand out, a bright glow beginning to hover over it. When he felt he had summoned enough fuel into the spell to keep it strong, he released it towards Hibram and one of the Banshees closest to him, shouting, "_Fire Ball_!"

Easily avoiding the spell, the Banshee twisted back around to face Jeliel. Her scream made him flinch, and that pause was just enough to give her room to sink her wispy, sharp claws through his skin and rake them down. Bleeding, angry welts were left behind in their wake. A flow of ethereal toxins dipped into the High Wizard's blood stream, slowly paralyzing his movements until moving at all became more of a chore than hard labour.

Casting her eyes to the top hat-wearing High Wizard Lana was quick to recognize the symptoms. There had been times, rare though they were, that someone who had been to the island would be returned to their town only to be shipped off to Rachel or Prontera, whichever was nearest, for professional healing; the scratches Banshees gave could leave the person paralyzed for hours - sometimes days. During that time, they weakened slowly; the wounds would take a long time to stop their slow bleed. She'd studied how to remedy such a problem, but hadn't had the opportunity to put her work to practice. Now was as good a time as any

"_Blessing_!" Lana shouted, focusing her connection to the gods over Jeliel. Her face lit up with a smile when the toxin began to wear off. A grin of thanks was given from Jeliel before they resumed their attacks.

"Everybody see that?" Shujiri called out to his comrades, ducking under one of Hibram's swinging fists. "Don't let the Banshees scratch you!"

"Yeah, ow; don't let them yell in your ear, either!" Sahari confirmed, twirling a long, slim finger in her ear for emphasis as she leaned away from one of the Banshees closest to her. The young Assassin Cross stuck out at her with her katar, finishing the work Dmitri had started.

Alex motioned towards Hibram, who had just erected a Safety Wall for himself. "Zira, Lana, do you think one of you can try to get that demon off his back? Maybe we can help him if it's gone!"

The two exchanged a nervous look. Turning his eyes back to Alex, Zira replied, "I'm not sure it works like that; we don't really have the right training for _that_ kind of exorcism.."

"Can't hurt to try," Lana sighed. "I'm almost out of blue gemstones, though.."

"Me too; we'll have to get some when we leave, but for now, I can try."

Lana nodded. "Go ahead."

The blue-eyed man sneaked slightly closer to Hibram, drawing a blue gemstone out of his pocket. He flicked it into the air, eyes closing as he concentrated on the flow of holy energy through his veins and on shifting it outward. When the light formed at Hibram's feet, he held his breath in hopes that it worked.

Hibram seemed to shudder for a moment, then simply stepped forward out of the light and continued his assault. His wild eyes turned to Zira, recognizing where the spell had come from, and the demon on his back grinned maliciously. "Unrepentant sinners! Black-blooded innocents! Haha..! _Grand Cross_!"

Holy magic, far stronger than anything either of the blondes had ever tapped into before, coursed from Hibram to the ground, enveloping Zira, Shujiri, and Alex. The sheer force of the holy power backing Hibram's spell, even in his possessed state, was strong enough to make Shujiri stagger back, drag Alex into a kneeling position, and pull Zira to his knees.

The light of the spell waned and although the magic finally untangled itself from their bodies, the level of the holy magic such a deranged man had used was still so immense that it lingered for several moments.

"Eye for an eye, eh?" Pharin tweeted, watching the fight from above. He eyed Hibram and the demon latched onto him, studying the way the dark entity used the human. It seemed to be leeching his life force away slowly, draining him of his energy and in turn pumping its power through him to sustain him until its feeding was complete. The Filir could only guess what the demon had planned for the unfortunate Bishop once it was through.

"I can't believe that didn't work..." Dmitri murmured as he helped Alex back to his feet. "If he's possessed, that should have purified him. Then, failing that, his own attack _definitely_ should have!"

Shujiri, having recovered first, bent down to Zira and gently placed one hand on his back, the other hoisting him up by the arm. "I'm not surprised they didn't, though; not really. Hibram's a Bishop - one of the holiest people under Freya. He's probably too strong for most of our spells to really work on him, and that demon, although it should be hurt by them, is probably so deeply rooted into him now that it won't be bothered much, either."

"Spells aren't doing very much, no," Falcone conceded with a shake of his head, "But what if we stick to physical attacks?" He leaned away from the Soul Strike of Darkness Hibram sent out at him, then continued, "Theoretically, if Holy magic works primarily on a spiritual plane, then a physical attack with a Holy property may hit both places at once and give it that extra 'oomph' to hurt them."

Hibram all but cackled at Falcone's reasoning. "Lost sheep alone in the dark..So dark..So cold..Cold-hearted follower of madness, ohh, aye, I knew it when you first came here - when the sins of the father bled into the son, hahaha, bled all over the walls..So lonely, are you lost still?"

Growling, Sahari lunged forward and drove her katar into Hibram's chest, just missing his right lung. As he limped away from her, after she tugged it back out, she screamed, "Shut _up_! Oh my gawd, all you do is babble creepy stuff!"

As if only just seeing her for the first time, Hibram's brown eyes widened. His stare of surprise broke into a semi-smile. "Little lady, a girl, a little girl..You're new..Are you lost? Lost like them? Like _me_? I knew once, I knew - I knew! Then Niflheim swept in, beautiful death, crimson destruction...!"

Whimpering, Sahari stepped back until she was at Dmitri's side and clung to his arm.

Ghebriel squeezed the girl's shoulder reassuringly. When the madman moved to attack her, he threw two of his last few bottles of acid and explosives at his feet. The resulting explosion badly burned Hibram's feet and, from the resulting shards flung up into the air, glass buried itself deeply into his arms. He pulled Sahari away, pushing her towards Lana who had just finished working on Alex, Shujiri, and Zira completely.

The Priestess took the charge, nodding to show that she understood why the girl had been given to her. _Keep her safe._

At a loss for what they could do that would help against the Bishop aside from the non-stop duties of assisting by keeping their friends healthy, Zira and Lana exchanged a nervous look. Each debated momentarily on the use of Holy Light, but remembering the depressingly small effect Magnus Exorcismus, a Priest's greatest spell, had had on him earlier, they decided their best chances were to resume their supportive roles. Well, first thing was first...

Zira turned to the others, inspecting for a moment their weapons of choice as the battle continued around him. Jackel's bullets were doing relatively well, as were Shujiri's katar and Dmitri's arrows; these,he realized, were imbued with Holy powers from the gods. The others were not. _Time to fix that..._

The blonde Priest looked to lady Lana and nodded his signal.

"_Aspersio_!" both cried out in unison, each one sending the spell in a different direction. With Sahari's katar and Jeliel's staff blessed with the Holy gift, they turned to Falcone, Alex, Ghebriel, and Yuuki and repeated the process.

The results were instantaneous. What had looked to be a losing battle's tides visibly turned in their favour. Hibram was not the only one who seemed to be straining under the barrage of attacks, now; the demon looked angry and with every new attack it seemed more and more weary and desperate.

"_Gloria_!"

"_Angelus_!"

"_Magnificat_!"

"_Kyrie Eleison_!"

"_Blessing_!"

"_Increase Agility_!"

By this point, the demon attached to Hibram's back had had more than enough of the fight; its eyes were darkening with age, and its howls of hatred nearly muted Hibram's mindless ramblings. It latched onto the man's biceps and hissed something in his ear. Hibram's eyes widened and he began glancing around as if searching for something. Then, when he seemed to have found it, he grinned and shouted, "_Wide Silence_!"

Almost complete silence rolled over the group. Those who had been fighting stopped, momentarily confused. A few tried to speak, wanting to ask what had happened, but no word came out.

"What in Rune-Midgard-" Dmitri began, blinking. "Hey! I can still talk!" His wide eyes looked to Shujiri.

"Aye, me too." The Assassin Cross had a feeling he knew what Hibram's spell had just done.

"Why ain't we affected none?" Jackel inquired as he watched the ladies, Zira, Jeliel, Falcone, and Ghebriel try to speak.

"He silenced them," Alex concluded, grateful to still have the use of his own voice.

Swatting away a Banshee, Jeliel pointed his staff at Zira and laughed soundlessly. Zira took it, hit him with it, and then gave it back to him.

Realizing the situation, Shujiri shouted to the others, "Keep everything away from Zira, Lana, Jeliel, and Falcone! Ghebriel, Sahari, switch to pure physical! Give the spell time to wear off; if something happens, we'll be in trouble until those two can talk to use their spells!"

The demon wasn't going to let this happen. The attacks redoubled in effort doing anything and everything possible to destroy the humans in its presence, but it was more than aware that it was beginning to weaken. Rather, its host was getting weaker, and that left it in the middle of an ocean with no life raft. Its spells and physical strikes were beginning to verge on desperacy as the Bishop's body slowly was shutting down.

Unable to do much without magic, most of those silenced could only watch the battle progress. It wasn't a fact that sat well with any of them - especially Zira, and only when a Zombie Slaughter came up behind him; he'd screamed silently and lashed out at it with his scythe, and then screamed and attacked again when its decapitated head rolled to a stop at his feet. They were getting restless.

"No hope! Haha, no hope! No hope, no salvation - hateful bright light so far out of reach; if I could..could just touch it...HahahaHAHAHA! Touch it, devour it - leave nothing but darkness! Hahaha! Let it all turn to black!"

Even as his movements became sluggish and his attacks slowed, the insane man's frightening banter continued. It was beginning to verge on terrifying for Sahari; even Shujiri was starting to feel more uneasy about it. What he said made no sense, and he seemed torn between sorrowful and unending rage. It wasn't hard to figure out which one was stemming from what entity.

At length, Hibram's sporadic movements and bursts of power and speed wore down entirely until he was just barely on his feet, slumped as he was, a few more paces from the group of people who he'd silenced. His eyes stared holes through them, his chest heaving.

Shujiri wasn't happy about having driven him so close to the others, but the spell was wearing off; he could almost _feel_ the magic as it wove its way back into them like tendrils of life force being stranded together in a natural, easy pattern. Hibram looked to be so close to passing out that he was hardly a threat. Looking at him now, it was hard to believe he ever even had been one to begin with. The demon at his back seemed frantic, trying desperately to force its host to move and to claw its way free. It was out of luck; it had wound its essence so tightly within the human that it was stuck. Two _very_ angry healers stared back at it.

Hibram's gaze became hazy as he felt his eyelids drooping slightly. The cries of the Banshees had stopped with the death of the last one hovering near him. A small part of him, he wasn't sure if it was himself or the demon, thought idly that this couldn't be the way it ended - this wasn't what he wanted, and he wasn't ready to die. The other part of him, or the demon, or whichever it was, told the first part to shut up.

The mad Bishop's lips twisted up in a woeful grin. He chuckled breathlessly. "Sinners, sinners, all in sin...Reborn pure..to sin again...H- haha..hahaha..."

Lana clutched Zira's arm tightly as Hibram trudged forward a single pace, his breathing more laboured from the expenditure of the energy it had taken to move. She felt his muscles tense under her touch and glanced down to see his knuckles had gone white from the grip he had on his scythe. Her lips parted to speak and her words died just short of her tongue. _Almost there..._

Hibram took another step and Shujiri fell into a battle-ready position, while Zira pushed the woman behind him to join the others. He was ready to fight to defend them if the demon or its host attacked, although he was almost certain it wouldn't come to that. He was somewhat alarmed to note that, based on Zira's actions, the nigh-defenseless Priest was, too. The blue-eyed man had to admit: he was concerned, but he was also rather proud; the impulse to flee must have been strong, but the only things betraying the fear were his small frown and furrowed brows.

Now an arm's length away, Hibram went no further. His beaten and badly injured body bled heavily and puddles of the red essence pooled at his feet. To anyone who looked, he appeared to be a man resigned to his fate.

One shaky hand was raised from his side slowly as glazed eyes focused on the blonde male in front of him. Hibram let out a wispy laugh, short in essence and choppy. "Silence...Haha...Such lonely sinners...Soulless, dark, evil beauty..H- hahaha..." The hand drew closer until it was just inches away from the skin of Zira's face, shaking with effort as both he and the people around him seemed almost transfixed by the eerie scene. When his fingers were a hair's breadth away from the other man's cheek, his eyes fell shut slightly and he whispered breathless and hoarse, "Filthy, beautiful, crimson sin..."

Just like that, the spell of the bizarre moment was broken. Jeliel rushed up to the blonde's side and, with a protective arm around his waist, thrust the staff out towards Hibram's arm. It connected, throwing his arm out of their proximity and in the process seeming to break the taller man's trance.

As he stood there, stunned, Shujiri wasted no time. He ran forward, his katar and daggers at the ready, and ripped into the Bishop. The Holy enchanted blades tore through his flesh as well as the demon attached to him, drawing out an angry cry of fear and agony from both beings.

Jackel, Sahari, Dmitri and Alex quickly followed suit of their friend. The Gunslinger drew his second revolver, unleashing a hail of bullets into the man and the demon even as Dmitri's arrows rained down over his target, sticking with a squelching plunk into flesh and muscle and spreading their Holy property through him. Sahari and Alex were both equally as fierce in their attacks, one's axe ripping into and rending muscle mass where the other's daggers and knives tore deep into the demon's mass.

When the onslaught was over, the Bishop fell to his knees, weaker and bleeding now more than ever before. He swayed uneasily for a moment, then fell to his back, eyes wide open as he faced the ceiling. The entity feeding from him withered, and with a gentle, warm breeze that shouldn't have been possible, it turned to dust and was blown away.

The others shuddered slightly at the mysterious wind, but no one said a word as they instead watched the dying man at their feet, wary of further surprise.

Hibram's chest heaved in the effort to breathe even as his lungs began to fill with blood and his muscles refused to cooperate so he could reach for anything or anyone. His eyes slowly lowered onto the faces surrounding him and fell shut for a moment. He knew what had happened and he knew what they had done was for the greater good's interest; he could find none of his earlier rage and sorrow to latch onto through this. Only peace and acceptance.

With a weak smile, he turned his face back up to the ceiling. Something there had caught his eye.

Tears began to fall, streaking down his face and to the floor. He was vaguely aware of the women and one or two men silently weeping for him, but their sympathy wasn't necessary; he had gotten himself into this mess, and he knew they weren't to blame for what was done to fix it. His breathing grew more and more shallow, turning wet and raspy from the blood in his lungs and throat, and he smiled despite this. The light of the abbey was back, and it was warm to his cold skin as it enveloped him.

Hibram's voice crackled and broke as he tried to voice the thoughts in his mind until, finally, he settled simply on one small phrase of two words. "The..light..."

Dark eyes fell closed, never to open again, as his chest ceased its laboured undulation. Yuuki, even from where he stood near Jackel and Alex, could practically feel his heart as it thudded sluggishly to a stop and gave up.

The friends stood in silence for a few minutes, allowing the quiet to settle over them as both a time to get their nerves back under control and to serve as a time of respectful reflecting over the fallen man. No one felt comfortable enough to raise their eyes to anyone else's yet, and that was fine; they all felt the need to store this moment in their memories for later reflection, perhaps out of some morbid sense of awe or out of respect for the life lost tonight.

At length, Lady Lana wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. When she felt strong enough to begin without her voice cracking, she launched into a prayer in honour of the man who rested at their feet. They had no way to bury him with the monsters around the grounds; this was all that they could offer him.

"Freya, Odin, and all the gods above, we send one of your followers home to you to walk the paths of eternity in your footsteps. We ask humbly that this Fallen Bishop, Hibram, of the abbey on the nameless island, be accepted and forgiven of whatever transgression brought the demon upon him. By your grace, and the mercy bestowed upon warriors and followers of your names,..."

Everyone silently recited the maiden's prayer, solemn and somewhat numb sensations in their hearts. Although they all spoke the words the Priestess said internally, some couldn't stop themselves from surrendering to the impulse to turn their eyes, heads still bowed, onto the shaking, scythe-wielding man at Jeliel's side.

The nagging sensation that perhaps, in an unusual way, Hibram had been warning them of something was beginning to eat at them. They just weren't quite sure what.

_What did Hibram see?  
_**To Be Continued...**


	45. The Cursed Abbey Part 3

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **I actually had to fight myself about this part of the story; I wasn't really sure I _wanted_ to include Beelzebub from the third floor of the abbey, so I just cheated a little. Truth be told, I hate fighting Beelzeb'tch almost as bad as I hate fighting Zombies, Ghouls, Ragged Zombies, and Zombie Slaughters, albeit for entirely different reasons. Someday I might go back and incorporate the fight, perhaps add another chapter in between this one and the next, but for now, I've decided against putting in the third floor MvP in favour of saving myself some sorrow and angst from having to write another big battle right after the last one. They need a break, too, right? As for themes, this one's not from the game, but I listened to it in place of the bgm for abbey03; Shikata Akiko - Kiniro no Chousou. It's creepy-sounding!

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-One: The Cursed Abbey (Part 3)  
**When Lady Lana completed the prayer, Shujiri was the first to move. He took slow, steady steps up to her, his feet feeling like so much dead weight at the bottom of his legs after the physically, and then emotionally, draining battle they'd just been through. As he reached her, he held out his free hand. In it was clutched a Priest's wand, looking well-used but in very good condition, all things considered.

Lana glanced down at the item in his hand and blinked, then looked back up to meet his eyes. Her confusion shone bright in her own eyes as he stared back at her.

The Assassin took her hand gently, placing the wand into it and then curling her fingers around it. His voice was soft when he spoke. "This flew out of his hand when we attacked him that last time; whether it was his or someone else's who used to stay here in the abbey, I think ye should decide what to do with it - keep it to have something to remember your religious comrade by, or leave it with him as a burial object...I've never met him until now, but I'm sure he'd want some good to come from an encounter that started so badly. It might help down the line. I think he knew something about what's been going on that he wasn't coherent enough to tell us."

Lana smiled weakly at Shujiri's words. Her arms wound around his neck and she hugged him tightly, suddenly finding herself without the energy to draw away. She stayed there for a few moments, using him for support and he let her, knowing she needed the companionship as much as any of them now. There was only so much a High Priest could do, and they just hadn't been trained to deal with the kind of situation they'd just found themselves in.

After a bit, the long-haired woman pulled back, her hands closing around the wand and resting against her lap. "Thank you, Shujiri." she said quietly, offering him a small, weak smile. "I never spoke to him more than in passing when he would visit the church in Prontera, but he was a kind man and a very religious one. Whatever happened to him to cause that demon to latch onto him, it had to have been something terrible - he had to have been lead into it under false pretenses. There's just no way possible for him to have done something so bad knowingly. He wasn't like that."

"Aye; I understand."

Lana turned from him, looking up to the ceiling to gather her thoughts, then moved towards Jackel, Dmitri and Sahari. For once, the pang of jealousy didn't rise up in Shujiri; she'd traveled with them longer and if she wanted to seek further comfort in them, it was her right and he wouldn't try to stop her. He had one more thing to give someone else, first, anyway.

Deep blue eyes turned onto Zira, being held tightly in Jeliel's arms as his cerulean eyes hid behind long lashes and tears fell onto the High Wizard's cloak.

He frowned slightly, remembering what his friend had once told him in another life about studying for a short time under the man before he'd become a Bishop and had been whisked off to the abbey to offer his services there. If the pattern had stayed close to what he suspected from those closest to him's lives in the past to now, it was entirely possible he'd done the same this time as well. On top of that, he was very aware that his friend was extremely sensitive to the powerful emotions surrounding him, and had been since a very young age.

Shujiri advanced to the pair and forced a smile that fell short of reaching his eyes. When Jeliel nudged the blonde gently to get his attention, his smile brightened slightly in thanks.

Zira turned to face his friend, rubbing the tears off on the heel of his palm as he did. Once he could see well enough through the blur, he forced a smile of his own as a greeting. Like Shujiri's, it didn't make it to his eyes.

"Ye told me once, on Void, that you trained under him for a while before he got his title as a Bishop. Remember?"

Zira nodded. "I wasn't sure why when we first met, but it felt like I'd known him before, just like it did with you. I wanted to find out why, so I jumped at the chance to train with him when it was offered. When more memories of having known him came up, I started to copy what had happened in them to try to get the same reactions again whenever I had the chance, and he'd always responded just the way he did in those memories. I wasn't sure what was going on, or if they were visions or what, but they were comforting considering that I hadn't managed to get in touch with most of the rest of my memories yet. I always felt lonely - like something was missing..." He took a steadying breath. "Did this happen to him last time? We didn't come here, so maybe he was spared from this..right?"

It was Shujiri's turn to take the blonde in his arms now, giving him a comforting but slightly awkward hug, having to be mindful of the nervously fluttering wings in arm's reach.

When Zira was somewhat calm again, he replied, "I don't know. Maybe?" He pulled away and gently squeezed the man's shoulder in his hand. "I don't want to lie to ye, so I have to tell you it's possible he did, but it's also possible the same thing happened to him then, and we just never found out about it. But, I have something that you might want."

Zira blinked, then tilted his head slightly as he wiped away a lone tear that had started to streak its way down his cheek. "What would that be?"

A gloved hand took Zira's and held it, palm up, towards the roof of the abbey. When the fingers uncurled, he placed the tiny object in the center and then closed the fingers around it himself. With a last comforting squeeze of the hand, he let go and stood back.

Zira brought the hand up to his chest slightly, opening it to get a better look at what he had just been given. His eyes widened when he saw the beautiful blue gem at the center of a golden band, surrounded by almost petal-shaped white gold, like a flower. "This is-?"

Now Shujiri's smile was real again as he nodded. "Aye, Hibram's ring. It fell off during one of his attacks, and rolled to my feet. I was going to give it back to him if we could save him, but since we couldn't.." His eyes trailed off to the body for a moment before jerking them back away again and meeting Zira's. "I think since you trained with him, he would possibly have wanted you to have it, if for nothing else than for helping him to get free of that demon."

Two arms were tight around his neck before Shujiri could react, and he stood in surprise for a moment before finally returning his best friend's hug. They pulled apart when a stranger's amused voice reached their ears.

"Oh, by all means, don't let me interrupt anything, here."

Yuuki was at the stranger's side in a moment, the tip of his blade resting evenly and steadily against the man's throat just hard enough to where, if he pressed even a little of his strength into it, his pristine white clothes would be decidedly more crimson by the time the bleeding at his pulse stopped. "Who are you?"

Thin, regal eyebrows arched from underneath a mop of wild white hair. "My name is Wizomgot; I'm here to look into what's happening in the abbey. I was making my way to the third floor when I heard the commotion here and came to see what was going on."

The name was familiar, and Shujiri was sure he'd heard it before. But where..?

"Oh!" the Assassin Cross exclaimed, "You're Gambriel's friend, right?"

Wizomgot smiled and nodded, a bit confused at being recognized when he hadn't met the people in front of him before. "I am; who are you? What are you doing here?"

Zira eased Yuuki's sword away from the High Wizard's throat, smiling. "He's Shujiri. I'm Zira."

Shujiri resumed the introductions, pointing out each man and woman to the newcomer before answering his second question. "We were hoping Chrnos and Xabel came by here; we'd heard they were headed for the abbey and hoped we could catch up to them. It's important."

Chocolate brown eyes narrowed in thought as the short-haired Wizard studied the Assassin Cross and High Priest in silence. He seemed to be putting pieces of a puzzle together in his mind and drawing conclusions, though they weren't quite sure what those were, let alone if they wanted to ask, judging by his expression. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he flashed them a charming grin. "Well, I'm not sure if your friends are here or not, but I hope your quest goes well. It's dangerous."

Shujiri arched a slightly bushy brow at this. "How did you know we were on a quest?"

"You've just confirmed it for me, haven't you? I could have been talking about the search for our friends, but that didn't seem like a real reason for you to come here if it wasn't important. No one comes here alone, and very few people come here just as a pair. Come and walk with me; we'll make our way to the upper floor of the abbey together and we can exchange information. I'm curious as to why they came here by themselves without telling you."

The group proceeded up the flight of stairs at the end of the hallway, each person chipping in a little about what had happened so far and why they were doing what they were. In return, Wizomgot relayed to them how his dreams had been pushing him to come to the abbey for a few months, now, and he'd finally decided to do just that when he heard a rumour about a great evil on the third floor.

This by no means, of course, made the group feel any better about going further in.

"So most of your magic is self-taught?" asked Dmitri incredulously, staring wide-eyed at the man by his side. "That's amazing! I've only ever heard of magic users having to go to a school to learn; you must be very powerful."

Wizomgot laughed aloud, quickly covering his mouth with one gloved hand to remain as quiet as possible so he wouldn't attract monsters to them. "I guess; that's what Gambriel and Raito say, at least. I feel as if I could be stronger; like I'm not reaching my full potential. It's frustrating."

Jeliel rolled his eyes, but remained tight-lipped. The gods must have been smiling down on them to deliver this small miracle. The pink and white wings attached to his back fluttered in annoyance.

"Those are some impressive wings some of you have," Wizomgot said, the movement having drawn his attention to the appendages. "Where I come from, wings are exceedingly rare; they're awarded to the people who do a large service for the gods. I've only ever read about the wings you all have!" His eyes raked across the four types, lips quirked in a happy grin. "Hierarchy, Flame, Great Dragon, Fairy Burst - they're incredible! Tell me, can you fly on them?"

"Eventually." Shujiri admitted, chuckling at the man's enthusiasm. "Jeliel and me still have to get used to it and learn how, first, but we have two born-winged teachers here to help us with that."

These words only served to stoke the other man's intrigue further. "Born-winged, you say? As in, born with them? That can't be right; wings are gifts from the gods for warriors who've proven their worth. How-?"

Shujiri chuckled. "I imagine Zira fought tooth and nail to keep 'em," he said with a sly smirk directed at the blonde. "He's always liked being able to fly. I think he's secretly a show-off, deep down, sometimes."

The blonde huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "And you say this as if you aren't, Shujiri. I'll have you know they run in my family! Even my father has them!"

Now it was Falcone who chuckled. "As for my own, I grew into them, so to speak."

"Grew into-?"

The redhead nodded. "Rather than being born with them or having them gifted to me, I just woke up one day in my early childhood and there they were. I nearly set my bed on fire with them when I got a good look at them; I wasn't aware they enhanced fire abilities or why they had suddenly appeared, so I wasn't sure how to control the flame in them to keep it from lashing out at my surroundings. I found out that being threatened with an ice cold shower was a very effective way of doing it."

"Late bloomer?" Ghebriel inquired, his tone teasing as he prodded Falcone's arm gently.

The Scholar took Ghebriel's hand in his own, partly to stop the poking and partly because he wanted a reason to hold it that the Biochemist wouldn't flinch away from. He dipped down quickly and captured his lips in a quick kiss, then, pulling away, smirked mentally at the blush dusting the pale cheeks of the smaller man. "That may well be the case," he said, "But that bloom will never be as beautiful as yours, my love."

Lana and Sahari giggled, clutching each other's hands happily at the display.

Wizomgot looked lost.

The group continued walking, silence falling over them for the most part. Eventually Shujiri cleared his throat and, when he had Wizomgot's attention, he spoke. "We had a chance to talk to your friend, Gambriel, on the way here."

"Oh?"

"He had a lot to say about you, actually." The Assassin Cross winced inwardly. _Well, it wasn't a total lie. He did talk about 'im._

"That so?"

Shujiri quirked a brow at the noncommittal answers, but pressed on. "He said ye took down the Evil Snake Lord by yourself. That's pretty impressive."

"He makes it sound like it was _easy_." Wizomgot mused, a small smile on his lips.

"From the sound of it, it must have been. Ye weren't apart for that long and by the time they found you, he was already dying. But what I'm curious about is what he said to you. 'Beware the holy blood in holy veins, shadows to drive the mad ones sane; repeat the past to unlock the key-'"

"'-Look to the future and join me.'" the white-haired man finished, nodding. "It was a weird thing to say, but he was a scholar, through and through. During the entire fight, he rambled on and on about finding 'the light' and destroying it. When it wasn't about a light, he yammered about 'legends repeating themselves.' I didn't understand anything he said, so I discounted it."

"Aye, I guess it doesn't make very much sense if you think about it."

"What would 'unholy blood in holy veins' mean, anyway?"

"A monster? Maybe Randgris..?"

"'Shadows to drive the mad ones sane' threw me for a loop more than anything else. I can understand what he meant by 'repeat the past to unlock the key, look to the future and join me'. If no one learns from their mistakes, they just end up being made all over again when it could have been prevented. But what was he trying to get across to me?"

"If you ask me, it almost sounds like a prophecy." Alex said, catching the two men's attention. "Really, if you think about it, none of the others made to date have made much sense if you take it at face value. You have to really dig in order to get at what they're trying to say."

Wizomgot nodded, accepting the sage words. "This is true; prophecies are mysterious. It's up to the people who hear them to figure out the meaning behind it and take it as they may. What they do with the information they're given is up to them, and that's what determines their fate."

"Take the one about Azirael for example."

Deep brown eyes locked onto Alex in contemplation before Wizomgot replied this time, a small smile on his lips. "You heard the legends too, then?"

"Hard not to; Rune-Midgard's most powerful magician has a lot of lore written about him. Specifically, the prophecy tied to him. No one's ever figured out what it means."

Wizomgot threw a simple cast of Jupitel Thunder at an approaching Flame Skull, repelling it into the distance, as he asked, "And do you happen to remember what it said?"

"There was something in it about deceit, the world's end, and the number three. There was also something about holy power, although nobody ever did make any connections there, either."

Shujiri and Zira exchanged a look, but remained silent as the two carried on with their conversation.

"No one is really entirely sure what that prophecy even means, much less when it's supposed to take place," said the white-haired man with a slight shrug. "It makes for food for thought, though."

Now it was Alex who nodded. "No one was even sure Azirael even existed; no books have anything on his life aside from the feats he supposedly accomplished and the quirks of his personality. For all we know, he might have been a figure of myths and legends created to lighten the spirits of Midgardians through their dark days before modern times. A figure to learn lessons from, of sorts. Much like some of the other mythical characters we know of today, such as Avalis."

"Azirael's friend, yes?"

"And guinea pig, in some stories."

Wizomgot chuckled at this. "Point is, nothing has ever been clearly translated from the prophecies he was supposedly involved in, and it's never even been proven if he was real or not, although I feel personally as if there's no possible way he could have _not_ been. As far as what the Evil Snake Lord said to me as he was dying, we may never know if what he said was meant to be a prophecy, or a threat meant to scare me away so he could try to slither off and recover."

Groans and moaning from ahead of them caught the group's attention and silenced all conversation. It was such a familiar garble of sounds that Zira shuddered, clinging to Jeliel's arm tightly. Shujiri's ears strained to try to determine the distance they were from the monsters ahead, but with the way the abbey's walls distorted the sounds inside it, there was no way of being sure how close they were to a potentially dangerous situation. _Again._

When the shuffling seemed to head in a direction away from them and eventually fell silent entirely, the travelers let out a collective sigh of relief.

"There are more of those things on this floor too?" Sahari whined in frustration. "Didn't we already deal with them downstairs?"

"The whole abbey is cursed," Wizomgot said with a bitter smile, patting the girl on the shoulder reassuringly. "The best anyone who comes here can do is be prepared to fight or run and, in the most dire circumstances, decide what's more important to them - the good of the few, or the needs of the many."

A shiver ran through the blue-haired Assassin Cross and the blue-eyed High Priest beside him at Wizomgot's words. They had been in that situation far too many times for their liking, and they knew there was a likelihood they would eventually face it again. They prayed it wouldn't be soon.

"We need to keep going ahead, so we'll have to be careful. The last thing we want is a repeat of our last encounter with zombies on this island." Shujiri informed his friends, his voice hushed just in case there were more of those things nearby that they hadn't heard.

Everyone nodded and they proceeded down the halls of the last floor in the abbey, winding their way down the seemingly abandoned corridors and checking various rooms.

The search had been fruitless so far, but the appearance of a group of monsters in tattered old cloaks wielding staffs, dangling an assortment of skulls from a rope held in clawed fingers, stopped them before they could go further.

The friends shrank back behind the corner. Once they were sure they hadn't been seen, Shujiri chanced a look back at the creatures in the next room. He frowned at the sheer number of monsters he saw before moving back again. Deep blue eyes closed in thought as his friends peered around the corner as well, cautious but curious.

"Necromancers." Wizomgot whispered, his voice low and serious. "Not to be messed with. Their control over the dead is astounding."

Jeliel snorted inwardly at the sight of the cloaked, man-shaped creatures. Turning his eyes back to Lady Lana and Zira, he whispered sarcastically, "Nice place you guys have here."

The blondes glared at the High Wizard, and Zira gently thumped his arm with a fist. "We're Priests, not Monks, you bloody git." he hissed in response.

Unwilling to allow the stern tones to escalate and reveal their location, Shujiri cleared his throat. Once the others were focused on him, he spoke. "Stick close together. If you see a Clown or Lord Knight, make sure to call mine or Zira's attention to it and let us know so we can try to get to them. We need to keep everything up here's attention off of us."

At this, Wizomgot blinked. "A Clown and Lord Knight?"

"Aye."

"I saw both of those earlier; the Clown was talking to the Lord Knight about going to Kiel Factory. They were being mobbed by several of the zombies on the lower floors and I offered my assistance."

Pharin opened his beak to reply, but Ghebriel quickly lifted his hand and pressed his fingers around it, forcing the small Filir to remain silent. The homunculus flapped indignantly but eventually gave up the struggle and accepted his master's silent demand for good behaviour.

"So we need to go to the factory?" Jeliel said with a frown. "This whole dangerous trip to this whole damn island was for nothing?"

"That's not true," Sahari reassured the teal-green-haired man with a bright smile. "I found a new pairing I like out of it!"

Jeliel shot the young girl a glare that silenced her, although her smile morphed into more of an amused smirk at the action. Dmitri just slapped his hand over his face.

Turning to Wizomgot, Shujiri asked, "Will you be safe here alone, or do ye want to come with us?"

The second High Wizard shook his head, declining. "Thank you, but I still have business to attend to here. You should all go ahead and catch up with your friends; if your quest is important enough to draw you here looking for them, then you have no time to waste waiting for me to finish up here. I do appreciate your offer, though."

Shujiri nodded. "Thank ye for your input and the information you shared with us." He shifted his attention to Lana and Zira, his body turned slightly towards them. "How do you feel about helping him out a little before we go?"

The two smiled their understanding and began their rounds of blessings and prayers, boosting the magician's natural skills with the holy powers of the gods. When they were through, they stood back again.

"Thank you for your help." Wizomgot said with a warm smile. "I hope you find your friends."

"And I hope ye find what you're looking for." Shujiri replied. "Be careful while you're here."

Messy white hair flopped as the other man gave an imperceptible nod at this. "Until we meet again, then."

"Tell Gambriel thank you for us, too, for his help and for saving us."

"To be honest, I'm surprised that you survived his flying more than I am that you didn't die before the air ship went down. I've had the misfortune of riding that ride, and I never want to do it again. Dorian and Heracles are much safer and much more considerate of their passengers."

"Just stay away from Ruko, and you're fine." Falcone murmured, unconsciously looping his arms around Ghebriel's waist as Jeliel did the same with Zira.

Wizomgot chuckled. "He means well, but he's something of a womanizer. I'm a little disappointed in his powers of observation that he didn't realize from your uniforms that you two are very much male, however, Zira; Ghebriel."

"Ohh, trust me - he paid for that." Alex reassured the man at his side with a grin. "They both let him have it, and even Falcone and Jeliel had a go."

An awkward silence filled the gap of conversation for a few moments until Shujiri stood upright and cleared his throat. "Well, with that, we need to head back. We don't have a lot of time to waste along the way if we want a fighting chance."

"I understand; be safe." Wizomgot called to the group as they turned and began to leave. "Stay close to the walls and duck into corridors now and then as you go. The Banshees don't seem to be able to find you as easily that way. The Flame Skulls mostly just float up and down the halls, but it's more or less of a pattern so you can easily figure out when to duck to avoid them. Magnus Exorcismus works quite well on Ragged Zombies and Zombie Slaughters on the floor below this!"

The group turned to him, waving that they understood, and softly called their thanks out to him once again before they turned to leave. When they were out of sight, the High Wizard sighed to himself. "I hope they get out of here safely."

A voice in front of him caught Wizomgot's attention. "You shouldn't worry about them; they're right on track for now. You should be more concerned about yourself. This place is dangerous, after all."

The tanned magician's eyes darted up into the face of the man speaking. He towered above him by several inches, his eyes concealed behind the dark lenses of a pair of sunglasses. Something about the smug smirk on his lips unnerved him and set him on edge, but he wasn't entirely sure why. Compared to where he was, what kind of threat could this man prove unless he wanted to draw the attention of all the monsters in the vicinity?

"And who might you be?"

"I'm upset you don't remember me, pretty boy. And we had such a fun history together, too!"

"You must be mistaken."

Wizomgot moved to edge around the man, but a gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him as he passed. A second man, one he hadn't noticed before, stood behind the first, his red gaze studying the chocolate eyes intensely with a coy smile on his face.

"Who might you be?" he ventured warily.

The smaller male chuckled, advancing forward until they were only a few inches apart, leaning in dangerously close. His voice was wispy and laced with the ghost of a giggle as he spoke to reply. "You might not remember us, my dear, but we remember you."

Wizomgot shuddered at the silken tone the words were uttered with. Although it brushed his mind like luxurious fabric, it grated against his nerves and only served to make him more conscious of his surroundings and the strangers before him. "You must have me mistaken with someone else. I should be on my way-"

"What's the rush?" the first man asked, his hand lifting to play with the red locks of hair that fell over the second's shoulder. "It's been a long time since we've seen each other; you should be happy to see us! We were looking forward to this little reunion; we were wondering when you'd come back around again, after all..."  
**To Be Continued...**


	46. Good Night

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **Disney training montage lyric shout-out with the next chapter title. I had a difficult time getting started on this chapter; my outline for it wasn't as detailed as the others were. My notes to myself can be summed up as follows: "Training, story-telling time, big revelation, Pharin's a softie." ...Real good, right? As it turned out, I didn't even end up using the training part yet! I'm not familiar with the walking layout of Rune-Midgard, so it's difficult for me to figure out how to get them where they need to go in an efficient manner. I REALLY WISH THEY COULD JUST WARP EVERYWHERE! xx; Pretend that warping drains some of their sp, okay? Big thanks to T-chan for his help in figuring out how to get them from the abbey to the robot factory on foot. For the song to this chapter, we'd might as well go with one of the themes for the Yuno field maps, "Big Guys Love This."I had a small issue with Yuno/Juno and the whole floating thing, so flying is the best way out of it I can think of. xD; Just go with it? (Gyah why didn't anybody ever tell me they were the same freaking city?)

**RoChronicles**

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**Chapter Forty-Two: Good Night  
**The way back out of the abbey was much simpler than the path into it, now that the friends knew how to handle the monsters there. Zira passed Lana a few of his remaining blue gemstones and the two sent out a few waves of carefully placed Magnus Exorcismus to clear the path for themselves and their comrades, occasionally reinforced by Yuuki's blade and Jackel's Holy-infused bullets. For the most part, no one really had to lift a finger.

Once outside, Godporing provided his assistance once more in clearing the way for them to safely reach him. There was no big battle this time - no fight for survival to end in near-death experiences. Instead, the Holy 'Ring offered his help in transporting them from the island. It was help they were extremely grateful to be afforded, considering their boat ride off of the island had never been scheduled, and none of them were overly fond of the idea of spending their time idly on the evil island when they had far better, and considerably more important, matters to attend to.

Once everyone had their bearings about them after being deposited just north of Veins, Zira and Lady Lana were easily enough capable of directing them through Rachel and to Lighthalzen, where Ghebriel took over the instructions. From there it was a simple enough walk to the outskirts of Einbroch, where they stopped for a couple of hours to rest and regain their strength from the long walk following the battles they had gone through at the abbey.

Finally, with a few trips via air by Zira and Falcone, they reached Yuno, where Shujiri ultimately decided they should call an end to their trip for the day. They were all exhausted and in desperate need of sleep, and so Shujiri had found them a few rooms at the nearest inn.

Dmitri and Sahari had already fallen asleep - passed out the moment their heads touched their pillows.

Lady Lana was murmuring her prayers, silent and mournful but still thankful for the small blessings given to them through their quest so far. The whisper of her voice was as reassuring as anything, partly because her voice was so calming under even normal circumstances, and partly because the sound of her words on their ears helped somewhat to soothe their consciences of the bishop's demise at their hands.

Jackel had taken one look at the stares Sahari sent him downstairs and had turned on his heel, excusing himself to the room assigned to him with all the speed of the seasoned Gunslinger he was.

Alex chuckled and made his way to his own room, intent on getting in more sleep this time than he had the last time they'd stopped at a town inn.

Even Yuuki had long since been returned to his egg. Zira had left him in Jeliel's care with instructions to be gentle with it and the promise that if he returned to find it smashed on the floor or scrambled in a frying pan, he would force the man to eat his top hat.

That was a bet Jeliel remembered losing on Void to Shujiri that he had no intention of repeating the consequences from ever again; especially not from getting on the blonde's bad side when he was already charged with the volatile emotions of not only himself, but those around him.

Pharin had already been fed and had settled down to sleep on an arm of the coat hanger in the room Falcone and Ghebriel were sharing. He felt some consolation knowing that although his master had told him not to needlessly assault the Scholar, he would be close enough to help the ditzy Creator if he was needed.

He didn't like not being entirely aware of why his maker was sporadically so afraid of the redhead; it left him open to being..and he shuddered inwardly to even think of it,.._wrong_, in his assumptions. Despite this, a small part of him whispered that he wished he _would_ be wrong.

Ghebriel removed his lover's glasses and set them carefully to the side of their bed, frowning at himself when he cringed at the arms that wrapped around his middle to embrace him as their owner prepared to sleep. Like Pharin, he was uncomfortable with not knowing why he sometimes felt such fear around the man he also felt so much passion and love for. All he could do was just let it happen when it did and hope it would eventually pass.

Beside the one-eyed 'Chemist, Falcone also sent up his silent prayers that the smaller man's obvious bouts of occasional anxiety would vanish soon. His deep red eyes peered down into the sleep-hazed eye of his partner with sorrowful acceptance that that time would not be tonight and pressed a tender kiss to the other's forehead to show his understanding when the Biochemist's face turned down in silent shame at his own actions.

The last sounds from their room had been the whispers of mirrored apologies and acceptance, and the sound of feathers shifting as Pharin, from his perch where he pretended to sleep, peeked over every so often at the couple on the bed to reassure himself that his master was still safe.

Zira slipped to Shujiri's side, hoping to discuss their plan of action for when the morning came.

The Assassin Cross looked up wearily to his blonde friend from where he sat, patting the mattress beside him as his invitation for the other man to be seated.

Accepting the offer, Zira gave his blue friend a thankful smile and practically fell onto the bed. He bounced slightly as his back met with the mattress but other than that neither made any move to alter their positions. They each stared at the wall or ceiling, tired and unfocused, for a few moments before Zira finally gathered the energy to push himself back upright.

"Shujiri?"

"Aye?"

Silence fell once again, and the two listened through the sounds of the night to the sound of their friends turning in for the night in the rooms around them. The sounds reassured them that their friends had all made it back to familiar ground alive and safe, no worse for the wear.

Finally, Zira spoke again. "What are we going to do from here?" he asked, a worried frown on his lips. "I can't help but feel that we're running out of time the more we have to run around looking for Chrnos and Xabel. Maybe they do know a few things we don't because of those.._visions_ that King Gakudon said Chrnos was having, but if we haven't found them, then our opponents haven't, either; for all we know, they may not even know they exist. We still need to find Rine, and-"

Shujiri lowered a calming hand onto the other man's shoulder and squeezed softly. He kept his hand there until Zira's wings calmed and stilled, signaling his tranquil state had returned. When he removed it, he said, "Just a few more tries, Zira. We need to know everything we can about what he sees from their perspective - we need that upper hand. This might be our last chance to get there first and stop everything from being destroyed all over again; we'll find Rine, but we need to do this."

Sighing, the High Priest nodded. "I know we do. But, Shujiri, just look at the state of us. Do you think we're in any shape to keep prancing around searching for two people we don't even know through all the danger they put themselves in? We need a chance to assess everyone's strengths and weaknesses in this life _without_ the chance of someone dying if there's a slip-up. The others need more than a couple of hours of sleep at a time; they need time to rest and recover - _I _need time to rest. _You_ need to rest!"

At the blonde's words, Shujiri sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry I've been pushing it so much. We don't have much time, though; you were right about that. If we had the time to kick back and relax like the Ragnarok wasn't coming then you know I wouldn't begrudge any of you that. Just bear with the push a little bit longer until we can find them."

Zira frowned but nodded a second time.

After a pause, Shujiri sighed. "Ye did have a good point, though."

"Hm?"

"We need to see what we're capable of without something trying ot kill us. Like an experiment, but in a controlled environment - one where we can stop the fight if it gets too far or something goes wrong and not have to worry about getting killed for it."

"What do you suggest?"

"For now, let's just worry about catching up on our sleep. Tomorrow, when everyone's awake, we'll have ourselves a mini PvP to see what we can all do."

"What time?"

"I don't know." Shujiri replied with a slight shrug, his lips quirking up in a smile. "That depends on when the last person wakes up."

Zira blinked. "So, then-"

"Aye. We only have a short amount of time before everything blows up again, but if we keep pushing and not giving ourselves time to assess and mend then we won't be any good when the big fight happens, anyway. Why don't we just stay here for a day and rest? After that, we'll set out for the factory. Since Godporing warped us here, we should be a little bit ahead of Chrnos and Xabel, anyway. Maybe we'll catch up to them there. If we're lucky, we might even beat them there."

Two think arms tangled around the blue-clad man's neck in an appreciative hug. When Zira pulled away, he grinned up at him. "I could almost kiss you, but I have a feeling you'd rather leave that up to one of my colleagues." His tone was teasing, his grin becoming more of a smirk.

Shujiri fought back most of the blush, although a slight dusting of pink still tinted his cheeks at his friend's words. "Aye, well," he coughed, clearing his throat awkwardly as he refused to meet the steady blue gaze with his own, "Ye should get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow and even though you and Lady Lana are healers I still expect ye to show me what you both can do if you're forced into a fight, with and without magic."

The blonde's smile returned as he stood. "Sir, yes, sir!"

The two friends chuckled at this and as Zira turned to leave, Shujiri stood and reached out to stop him. His fingers closed gently around the blonde's wrist and, when he had his attention, he said in a somber tone, "I know you and Lady Lana both are going to be taking Hibram's demise the hardest of anyone here. If either one of you need to talk about it or vent, you're both welcome to come to me for it."

The smile on the smaller man's lips fell by a few emotions until it seemed to be held up only by a weak thread. "Thank you, Shuji; I'll be sure to tell her for you, too."

"I mean it. None of that bottling thing. Got it?"

"Yes, dear."

Jeliel's voice from the doorway caught the attention of the two friends, turning their faces in his direction. He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed and a slightly amused smile on his lips. "Am I interrupting?"

Shujiri chuckled and shook his head even as Zira flushed brightly and turned to move towards the magician. "Don't be an idiot." the blonde admonished, earning a sheepish, mock-surrendering smile from the taller Wizard.

Jeliel held his hand out to the blonde and Zira took it, staring holes into the floor at their feet. "Come on; it's time for all angsty Priests to go to bed. You'll feel better in the morning."

With a last nod of thanks to Shujiri, Zira slipped by the cloaked man, his hand slowly sliding out of his grip as he left. Jeliel turned his back to the Assassin and started after the smaller male, turning his face back slightly to give a nod of his own to the man in place of the bidding of a good night.

As the door closed behind them, Shujiri chuckled to himself and turned to his bed. He moved back over to it and slipped in, mindful of his new wings. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but wonder what was in store for them on the horizon. Whatever it was, good or bad, they would all face it together, as friends and teammates.  
**To Be Continued...**


	47. Let's Get Down to Business!

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **I enjoyed the mental visual of this chapter's contents being played out to Lix's remix of Through the Tower, "Through the Tower ~Lavic Euro Mix~". The original bgm plays in Geffen's dungeon if I remember correctly. It took me a while to figure out how to incorporate Zira's little story time, but I think I finally have it all worked out to flow with the rest of the story without sounding too much like a random interruption. I also managed to find a place to incorporate the cute inside joke T-chan and I had about Jeliel's little unexpected hat-guest. Well, here goes nothing!

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Three: Let's Get Down to Business!  
**Daggers sailed through the air, tipped with a powerful poison that could easily render the unfortunate victim they hit paralyzed and, following that, dead within a matter of seconds. They soared at top speed with an Assassin Cross's precision across the field in the direction of the long-haired Stalker.

A lean but muscular body jumped into the air. The daggers passed harmlessly beneath the man and embedded themselves into the nearest tree trunk harmlessly as the minty-haired man flipped in mid-air to face the direction the daggers had come from. He waited until the ground seemed to rush up to meet him and landed perfectly on both feet.

The smirk over the blue-haired Assassin's lips broadened at the spectacle and he resisted the urge to applaud Dmiri's improved speed and reaction timing from lives gone by. Instead, he braced himself for the return attack he knew was coming.

Sure enough, Dmitri yanked the bow effortlessly from his back and just as easily fingered three arrows, fitting them against the bow and drawing the strings back with every intention to fire.

Not one to just let himself be an easy target, Shujiri used Cloak to hide his presence and edged around the bowman until he was at his back. He was about to launch a preemptive counter attack when a blue wave of energy flashed to life and slammed into him, thrusting him out of his concentration and breaking his Cloaking spell.

Shujiri shot a look across from him a ways and his eyes locked with the mischievous blue eyes of Zira. The Ruwatch had apparently originated from him as he jogged over to Dmitri in time for the Stalker to turn and note their friend's presence. He chuckled and jumped out of the way to avoid the first arrow, only being mildly grazed by the final two as he twisted his body enough to limbo his way to safety while Dmitri reloaded his bow.

The Assassin Cross had almost made it to safety when a woman's voice shouted, "_Decrease Agility_!"

Shujiri flinched as his movements became drastically slower. His eyes met with Lady Lana's and he couldn't find it in him to be annoyed when he saw the flash of colour on her cheeks. Instead, he Cloaked again and, staying clear of Zira and Lana's reach from Ruwatch, resolved to stay that way until one of them decided to switch teams and assist the outnumbered man or until the spell wore off.

Shujiri's ears perked when he heard a dark chuckle from behind him and he cursed himself for not paying better attention; he must have still been distracted by Lana to not have heard Jeliel slip up behind him. When he turned to face the High Wizard, the other man's eyes weren't meeting his, although he was staring in his general direction, not having an exact location of where he was. That's when he remembered a rather neat trick of this branch of magic users.

"Sight!_ Sight Rasher_!"

Shujiri yelped as the little flame-like energy wave slammed into him and just barely caught his balance again before he could flop with all the grace of a fish onto the ground at the ponytailed magician's feet.

Seeing Shujiri's distraction and taking pity on him, Ghebriel sent Pharin to the High Wizard. The little Filir proceeded to peek at anything it could reach on the taller man as Ghebriel took the opportunity to hoist Shujiri bodily back with him towards Falcone. He threw a Plant Bottle at Jeliel's feet as a further distraction, buying them more time in their escape as Dmitri, Zira, and even Lana had a good laugh at the magician's expense when he began trying to dance around the plant's snapping jaws.

Falcone happily welcomed his lover and friend to his side of the field, vivid red eyes keeping a close watch on the men and women across from him. He had been keeping tabs on who was where and what scenarios were most likely to present themselves, but he had somehow missed the disappearance of Sahari and Alex.

His spectacles eyes turned to the right a short distance off, where Jackel and Yuuki seemed to have settled into a simple training regime of aim, block, return, dodge. Being so especially focused on specialty weapons and range, neither thought it fair to pit those skills against the others in an all-out "fight." Or at least it was supposed to be an all-out "fight." More of a training session, really, although somewhere along the line it had degenerated into an all0-against-whoever mock-up of the PvP versus arenas around Rune-Midgard.

Zira's outcry of indignation heralded the resurfacing of Tyr and a simple glance told Falcone that the shout was due to Tyr's bizarre way of expressing his affection for the blonde once again. This left things slightly more even for Shujiri; he was confident he could handle one of the Priests and a party member or two. Two Priests against one just wasn't fair.

_Then again_, Shujiri mused inwardly, _Me against just one of any of them wouldn't be very fair, either, since I have the advantage on my side of remembering all of my training and experience compared to some of them._

Shujiri quickly covered the ground between himself and the pointy-eared archer, slinking in and closing the distance to assure that the bow would no longer benefit him at this close range. He grinned at Dmitri and launched into his attacks. The quick-minded Assassin carefully avoided any real cuts that could actually do considerable damage to him but kept close enough that the danger of the situation would still feel real enough to make the training session profitable for them both.

Scowling, Dmitri was fast in his change out from the bow to his sword from its place at his hip. He brought the blade up quickly enough to block the closer strikes of the blue-clad man's katar and smiled serenely at the natural feel of the hilt in his grasp. He'd become so used to bows and arrows from his stay with the Dancers and Gypsies in Comodo that he'd forgotten just how fluid and _right_ swords felt as well, considering that was what he had originally been training towards in his days as a Thief.

The Assassin recognized the look and passed a brief smile to the slender man, continuing his onslaught. The man had apparently come to a realization about something of his fighting style, and that was good - very good. After all, that was part of the purpose of this exercise; they needed to find different ways to use their strengths to fight so they could be prepared for any situation; any way they could maximize their abilities and minimize their weaknesses was vital information for the future if they had any chance to win. For occupations like Dmitri's, where someone could train specifically in two very different kinds of weapons, knowing how to give up one style in a fight where it's no longer useful and easily slipping into the other was especially important. There would be times when long-ranged attacks just wouldn't be as effective.

Seeing the sword come into play, Ghebriel smiled a bit and hazarded to get close enough to throw a bottle of protective solvent over the two men with a cry of "_Full Chemical Protection_!" The chemicals adhered to the surfaces of their clothing, armour, and weapons and strengthened them against wayward blows.

Dmitri shot the Biochemist a thankful smile, while Shujiri's was just a touch more wary.

He remembered quite well past instances where he'd seen Ghebriel fighting alongside them against other strong monsters. It was a useful ability, of course, but what usually followed it still made his skin crawl and a chill go up his spine. Acid Demonstration was a much more terrifying skill in the hands of someone who had the seasoned know-how and field experience to maximize its potential. Once he'd thrown the protective coating onto his teammates ("Just in case any splashes towards you," the ditzy male had explained,) he let loose a barrage of the explosive skill on the monsters and they never stood a chance. Melting, howling in pain, and some simply vaporized, the field had been cleared in record time. And that was in the hands of someone who wasn't able to access all of their knowledge about the skill yet!

Shaking his head to clear the image from his mind, Shujiri refocused on the battle again. He and Dmitri wove through the field between other fighting pairs and teams among their friends, each dodging blows and returning them as quickly as they were dealt. Once, Shujiri's katar cracked against Dmitri's blade and parried it off to the side a bit too far towards Ghebriel. Falcone quickly shot up a Fire Wall to block the blade and, when Ghebriel was safe, he grabbed him and brought him back up the hill to join him.

Shujiri paused in his assault, glancing up to ensure that the smaller man was okay before putting one hand on his hip as he spoke. "You know, we need to test you guys, too; ye can't just watch and come up with strategies, even if you _are_ well known for 'em."

"Oh, rest assured, my friend," Falcone called down in response, red eyes following the progress of the other fighters on the field, "We'll participate. However, I'd like to study everyone's 'style' first, if you don't mind. A good idea of that will be useful in the future to know how to best assist you all if it becomes necessary. I wouldn't want to get in the path of your daggers, for instance. And I certainly don't want to be anywhere nearby when Alex swings his cart around."

Shujiri nodded, accepting the reply. "Aye, I guess you're right. Just be sure and join us before we all run out of energy. You too, Ghebriel."

A small smile flickered over the potion maker's face as he nodded. "We won't be long."

"Surprise cart smash!" Alex and Sahari's voices called out, startling Shujiri from his concentration.

The blue-haired man just barely managed to leap over the cart to avoid the potentially painful collision. Instead, he landed in the cart on his feet even as it barreled across the field, still at the speed it had come at him with. He swayed uneasily at first, unfamiliar with the sensation, and his wings twitched in preparation for being used if necessary, though he was still as of yet unsure how to work them. Finally he managed to regain his balance and a smile broke out over his face.

"Woohoo!" Shujiri shouted, the wind whipping his hair and tattered scarf behind him. "This is fun!"

_You say that now_! Tyr's voice echoed in his head, tinged with panic and anxiety. _We're going to crash_!

Shujiri looked down at the little ice wolf pup at his feet, surprised. "When did you get here?"

_Just before Alex and Sahari shoved the cart at you. I needed a nap and it looked comfortable.._

The blue-haired man gave the pup a gentle smile. "You're still a baby, I keep forgetting."

Shujiri chuckled and returned his focus to the field ahead of him. His deep blue eyes widened as his gaze caught sight of Jackel ahead of him and he opened his mouth to shout a warning, but it was too late; Yuuki slipped fluidly out of the way, but the cart collided with the Gunslinger's legs and toppled him into Shujiri. Both victims fell back against the side of it.

Groaning, Shujiri grasped one side of his head to try to slow the dizzy sensation and dimly noted that the cart had yet to stop moving, though it had lost a good deal of its original speed. He glanced down to see if Jackel was alright and snickered at the state of the older man, acutely aware of how close the Incubus-like horns had come to skewering him through the neck and jaw.

Sandy hair cascaded down broad shoulders, freed for the most part from its usual tie by the impact and speed of the cart. The bangs hung like curtains over honey-coloured eyes which were still closed even though their owner began to struggle to awareness again. One arm was strewn across the cart's side, the other over the Assassin's muscular frame, and both legs had fallen propped across Shujiri's lap and over the edge of the cart opposite of him.

"Hel far that hurt...Whut hit me?" Jackel mumbled, wincing as he started to move to push himself upright?

Grunting at the shift of weight, Shujiri carefully tipped his head to one side, allowing him the freedom to move his position without being impaled by the other man's horns in the process. "Me, sort of." he chuckled in response.

Frowning, Jackel turned his head up to look at the younger man and his eyes widened when he realized how little he had to do so before his nose bumped into the sculpted chin above him. "Dern, y'ain't hurt none, are ya?" he asked, his frown growing wider.

Shujiri shook his head. "No. You? That hit pretty hard."

"Ain't nothin' I'd wanna do 'gain but 't ain't that bad."

The cart slowly rolled to a stop at the base of a tree. When they were sure it was going no further, Shujiri climbed out and held his hand out to the larger-built man, helping him down as well. Both crossed their arms over their chests when Alex and Sahari ran up to them with identical sheepish smiles on their faces. Neither paid attention as the now wide-awake ice pup slipped out of the cart and staggered off to find another place to rest.

"Sorry about that. We thought you'd just jump over it like Dmitri did. Unexpected elements in a battle, you know." Alex explained.

Beside the Whitesmith, Sahari nodded vehemently. "Although I kind of like this ending too. It was soooo cute seeing you two curled up like that together! Ohmygawd!" She grinned from ear to ear until Alex nudged her in the ribs, reminding her of their apology. Her lips fell back into their apologetic stance instantly. "But you could have been hurt, so we're sorry; it was a pretty bad idea."

"Aye, it was. But since we're fine, no harm, no foul, I guess. And you _were_ just trying to help with realism, I suppose." Shujiri said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Never could stay mad at ye for long, kid."

Sahari's smile returned full-force and she looked at Jackel. "Forgive us? Pleeeeease?" She batted her eyelashes pitifully, hands clasping behind her back.

The tall man frowned and looked away from her quickly as she bounced on her heels expectantly. He refused to meet her eyes and Shujiri laughed inwardly. He wasn't sure about the sudden behaviour, but it was the first time he'd ever seen the usually boisterous and flirtatious expert gunner so awwkard and uncomfortable. It was amusing, to say the least.

Finally, Jackel sighed and nodded. His lips were unable to suppress the smile of amusement at her as he answered. "Sure, I fergive y'all too. Jes' don't do it again, huh? Could'a really hurt somethin' fierce."

Sahari squealed in delight and bounded up to him, hugging him tightly around the middle. When she moved back, she pulled him down by the collar of his coat and kissed his cheek before she rushed to Shujiri and hugged him as well.

The slight falter of Jackel's smile when her lips pressed to his cheek did not go unnoticed by Shujiri or Alex, but they simply exchanged a glance and left it at that.

The four friends walked back to the others and stopped at the invisible sidelines to watch the progress they'd made.

Jeliel stood across from Falcone, a flurry of snow and lightning erupting from the skies overhead where they stood as winds whipped around him and lashed out at the redhead who stood as though nothing were happening amidst the chaos. Ghebriel winced every now and again.

The glow at the Scholar's feet signaled the use of Land Protector and his cause for lacking concern became apparent; the spells weren't touching him because they _couldn't_ - and it didn't seem like Jeliel was even wanting them to. Instead, he was happily casting random elemental spells out at the other winged man, grinning joyfully when the surge of power from his fingertips unleashed far stronger control over the parts of nature than he'd ever had before.

Finally Falcone seemed to become more or less restless and Shujiri understood that his area protection spell was about to wear off. Not wanting any harm to come to himself or his lover, Falcone quickly fired off a cast of Soul Burn at the other magic user.

Jeliel scowled as the electric feeling of power fizzled and drained away, replaced by the familiar empty feeling he usually had when his energy levels were too low. His energy was fine, but his magic had been temporarily sapped. He stuck his tongue out at Falcone and received a chuckle for his trouble.

Ghebriel stepped forward to speak with the other magician while Falcone sat for a moment to rest and regain some of his spent energy. The Biochemist dodged the swing of the High Wizard's staff and blocked the second with his shotel, using the curve of his weapon's blade to trap the staff in place for just long enough to disarm Jeliel.

Tentatively, Falcone held his palm out to test the return of his magic to at least a portion of its normal strength. He felt the crackle but it seemed weaker than it otherwise would have. Drawing a few stones from his pocket, he called out towards Jeliel, "_Abracadabra_!"

Both Ghebriel and Jeliel waited for a moment to see what would happen with the spell famous for casting anything from Hide to Asura Strike. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, but then the ground began to rumble slightly and it shook under their feet. Small cracks opened up in places, other sections bunching together and pushing upwards into spikes. An echo of Falcone's voice yelled over the field, though the Professor didn't speak a word.

"_Heaven's Drive_!"

Shujiri and Zira stopped what they were doing instantly as they heard the words, eyes darting towards Jeliel and Ghebriel. They knew this could only end in a hauntingly familiar scenario.

The High Wizard and Creator swayed uneasily on their feet as the ground quaked and the spikes surged upwards in random patterns. All around them, their section of ground seemed to roll and jerk violently with the force of the earthen spell that coursed through it.

Ghebriel chanced a glance back at the spikes and his visible eye widened at the sudden feeling of deja vu their appearance caused. His heart rate sped up considerably, his muscle tensing under his skin as if waiting in tortured anticipation for something terrible to happen.

When the light-haired man began to tip back uneasily and began to fall, it was only Jeliel's quick arm reaching out and latching onto his cape that kept Ghebriel from plummeting back onto the spikes that rushed up as if to greet him. He tugged the smaller man back firmly onto his feet and held him steady, planting his feet more firmly on the ground as the last of the quake died down.

With the crisis only narrowly avoided, Shujiri and Zira both breathed a sigh of relief. Falcone was on his feet in seconds, racing towards his lover who stood trembling by the Wizard.

Shujiri and Zira, too, seemed to be free from the horrified trance, and raced towards the pair as quickly as they could. Once they stopped, Zira began the process of checking over the two for any signs of damage that might not have been witnessed.

Ghebriel quietly allowed the blonde Priest to check him over turning him this way and that and casting a few rounds of Heal over him and Jeliel to be on the safe side. Once satisfied, he went to the Wizard and did the same with him.

The Biochemist felt his body shaking violently even as he tried to breathe deeply and steady his nerves; he knew suddenly, that his fear of Falcone had been grounded in both the literal and metaphorical sense of the word. He just wasn't sure why he'd felt it so strongly before - enough to remember it a lifetime later.

His train of thought was derailed when the redhead made it to his side, shaking just as hard as he, himself, was, and took his face in his hands to inspect him personally. Although the touch was gentle and the fearful, pained emotion in the red eyes was meant to be soothing and apologetic, the fear the smaller man felt spiked several times over. He found himself thrusting his arms out, shoving the taller away from him as far as possible.

Falcone staggered back a few paces with a mixed look of confusion and hurt. He started to reach back out towards his partner but Shujiri stopped him, grasping his wrist gently and shaking his head.

"Shujiri, I-"

"I knew this would come up sooner or later. Ye need to have a talk with Zira - both of you. He'll explain."

Clamping down on his lower lip slightly, Falcone nodded and turned to walk after the blonde and the light-eyed man. They had already begun to walk off away from the confused stares of the rest of their friends who had, by this point, gathered around to make sure everyone was safe.

When everyone else was out of ear shot, Zira turned to Falcone and Ghebriel. He shifted the slighter male to one side, keeping Falcone on the other; he needed to put a bit of distance between them to ease the science-lover's nerves before he could proceed with the explanation Shujiri had given him. When the story was told, he knew they would feel more at ease around each other; for now one of them was close to a panic attack and the other seemed almost ready to cut his wings off and leap from an air ship. The less reason either had to be distracted the better.

"There's something you both need to hear," began the winged healer, face set firmly with resolve despite the traces of concern peeking through the facade.

Ghebriel shuddered and hovered closer to the oddly comforting presence of the scythe-wielding holy man. "Yes?"

Zira faltered for a moment, then found his footing again and pushed forward. It had to be done, and it was better to do it now than to put it off again until later when another situation like this could arise at a time when the distraction could get them all killed in the process.

"Ghebriel, you're shaking like a Leaf Cat and Falcone looks like he just saw a Ghostring. I need to know if either of you remembered anything at all from what just happened that connects that point in time to your past together. _Anything_. Feelings, sensations, flashes of images, voices.."

Both intellectuals turned their gazes to the ground at these words, making it clear to Zira that they did remember something distressing. What it was remained to be seen.

"What was it?"

The smaller man was the first to reply, glancing away shyly. "I remembered being in a lot of pain and looking back at Falcone. I've had dreams in the past about falling over a cliff to a spiky floor but I never saw much of the person who caused it; I always woke up before I could see anything other than the red eyes staring at me. My father always had a hard time convincing me it wasn't real and telling me it was all a bad dream, but even he never seemed very convinced by what he said. Until I met Falcone I was never sure I really had any reason _to_ have those dreams and feel such a strong sense of fear before. Since then it's hardly ever _stopped_.."

Hearing these words, Falcone worried his lower lip for a moment. His eyes slowly shifted to lock onto the still trembling form of the Creator. "I remember being just out of reach of him and casting Heaven's Drive..and I remember seeing him fall..and hearing him scream. That scream has been in a few of my nightmares, but until this point, I never knew who screamed or what was happening. All I ever hear is that scream, and the only thing I see is blood everywhere - my hands, my clothes, even my wings.."

Zira patted the man's arm reassuringly when his frown became a scowl, but he let the man continue.

"I don't remember why I would ever want to use that against him - why he would ever deserve that fate. I can't think of anything but I know it must have happened. Especially now, seeing him react so strongly to what just happened and connecting it to the past. It _must_ have. Zira..was I.."

"Freya, no!" Zira exclaimed, surprised at the sudden realization of what Falcone was trying to ask. "Why would-? How did- Falcone, that's definitely _not_ what happened. You'd never hurt him intentionally. Do you know how you feel for him now?"

"Of course!" replied the Scholar with fiery conviction, his scowl morphing into a smile as he gazed at Ghebriel. "I love him with every fiber of my being. I used to think that those who believed in being reborn or having past lives were fools; I thought they were trying to avoid an inevitable fate by convincing themselves that the life they had wasn't being squandered. When I met him again, all of that changed; I found myself becoming one of those fools. Now I know it _is_ possible, and I'm glad to know that we keep seeking each other out; my life was empty and meaningless without him. I would do anything for him."

"Then you should know that that's not something you can fake or just suddenly make up because you want to. You loved him as much in those lives as you do in this one. You _did_ do anything you could for him, and that was a part of the problem."

"What? How?" This time it was Ghebriel who spoke, the tremors running through him slowly ebbing away at last.

Zira glanced between the two, then took a deep breath. When he released it, he launched into the explanation.

"You were very happy together - so happy that you left the rest of us to settle down together in Amatsu, in that house we stayed at a few days ago. Anyone would have thought you were literally sewn together at the hip, you were together so often. The wedding was the most beautiful, moving thing any of us had ever seen, and you were both so obviously happy together that we thought nothing would separate you."

Ghebriel and Falcone watched the blonde intensely, slowly edging closer to one another as the tale went on.

"What happened to cause your situation - what makes Ghebriel so afraid of you, Falcone, and why you remember what happened the way you do - happened during the fight with Satan Morroc. Gheb, you were trying to help the locals and tourists escape and get out of the desert to keep them from getting hurt. One of Satan Morroc's incarnations came up behind you; Falcone was always so protective of you that he tried to keep it from hurting you by attacking it before it could do the same to you."

Two sets of eyes widened.

"The spell was cast a little too close to you, though, so you lost your balance and fell into it. Falcone ran to you when he realized what had happened and tried to find me to help you, but Shujiri said I was already dying, so I wasn't able to help you. You died in his arms, and when he realized he'd been the cause of it, he just sat there and held you. He didn't even move when the man that killed me went to him and ran him through with his sword; he smiled, held your body, and died there with you."

The couple remained silent for a while, letting the information sink in. It was a relief to know nothing they'd feared had happened, but it was still distressing to learn the truth, considering what _had_ happened.

Finally, Falcone turned hesitantly towards Ghebriel. "'Brie, I-"

The red-clad man's words were interrupted. Ghebriel threw his arms around the man's neck, his face buried into the Nine Tails pelt around his neck. Zira and Falcone were both surprised, but rather than let the moment pass, the winged Professor instead settled his arms around the other man's waist to envelope him in a loving embrace. This time, Ghebriel didn't flinch away, scream, or push him back; he let the touch linger for a bit longer instead.

At length, the two pulled apart and smiled at each other. Falcone broke the silence first. "Does this mean you aren't afraid of me anymore?"

The 'Chemist's smile softened when the man's hand on his face only induced a surge of happiness in his chest this time. He was known for being overly explanatory when asked a question about something he knew or felt, but this time, he opted to let his actions speak for him.

The kiss Ghebriel drew his boyfriend down for was long and sweet, taking the taller man by surprise until what had happened sank in. Brows arched, Falcone's lips quirked up through the kiss in an amused, ecstatic smile. Soon he was pushing as much passion and love back into it as he was receiving.

Zira's soft giggling pulled the couple back to reality and planted their feet on the ground again. They pulled apart, the smaller blushing and the taller grinning happily at his partner.

"That was sweet. I didn't mean to interrupt." Zira apologized sheepishly.

Falcone chuckled. "It's quite alright. But, I must know something: how did he get past the fear of me so easily by hearing what you told us. It was a very powerful sensation-"

"I can explain," Ghebriel offered. "I _was_ afraid of you. But mostly, it was what I was wrongly afraid might have been done rather than you, yourself. Hearing everything put into the right perspective, it just felt..right. There was always something about that fear that didn't feel like it was aimed in the right direction, but it was so strong that because I could never remember much about the situation, I didn't know that it wasn't you I was afraid of."

Zira let the two stand together for a while longer, pulling each other into a warm embrace again until he felt they'd spent enough time away from the others. They had to get back and see what the plan of action was from there. With Falcone and Ghebriel back to the harmonious couple they'd been at first, the trip would be a bit smoother now.

_And maybe Pharin will leave Falcone alone for a while, the poor guy._

The three made their way to the group and after a quick exchange of information, everyone was up to speed on where they ranked in their fighting styles and abilities, both magical and physical, and on what had made Ghebriel so jumpy around Falcone. They were all glad to have that behind them and to know what they needed to work on to improve their abilities.

As the sun set, everyone ventured back to the quaint inn and sat together in the main room, resting to regenerate the energy they'd spent. The tranquil atmosphere of the scene would have been peaceful to anyone that looked in on it from the inn's tiny window to the world outside. Now it was time to discuss more important matters..  
**To Be Continued...**


	48. Reality Sets In

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **I really don't know what to say; this wasn't supposed to be its own little chapter, but it ended up that way regardless of what I'd intended. Unfortunately, that also means that I now need to come up with a theme for this chapter, too. We'll just cheat and go with the normal version of "Through the Tower." I hope I don't need to restate where it plays this quickly. /swt I thought it was time for Pharin to get a little more face time now that his master won't be the primary source of his angst for a while, and it's about time for them to start getting much more serious about what's going on. Hence the somber, severe tone of this chapter. Don't worry, I'll break it up with something lighter later, I promise. On with the show!

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Four: Reality Sets In  
**With the sun sinking lower over the horizon, Shujiri had taken a seat on the floor at Lady Lana's feet, gratefully accepting a shoulder rub after the hard day's training; leadership was hard work, and he was thankful Lana was around to work out the kinks. She had proved very helpful so far in assisting Zira to take care of any injuries they'd acquired in the process, among other things; having a second healer on the team would definitely improve their chances.

Sahari had claimed a spot between Dmitri and Jackel, using Dmitri's lap for a foot rest and Jackel's as a pillow. She lay stretched between the two men, her hands clasped comfortably over her abdomen.

Dmitri happily took this as his chance to catch a bit more sleep while the usually rambunctious girl was being somewhat quieter than usual. Those occasions had been rare ever since he'd taken her in when she was still a child. Admittedly, he was typically just as energetic as she was, but today his muscles had been given more of a work out than they usually had, too. He felt like being somewhat lazy, even if it did mean ignoring his high metabolism's demands for food for a little bit.

Jackel couldn't have seemed more uncomfortable if he actively tried. His light eyes stared across the room at anything other than the quite obvious chest of the girl laying in his lap. Her deep breaths helped to provide a moving distraction that he was determined to avoid. Finally, his eyes settled on Lana and all other thoughts vanished.

Alex rested on the floor, Tyr and Yuuki at either side of him. The two monsters played a quiet game of fetch as everyone relaxed, leaving Alex in the middle to throw the ball for Tyr occasionally when Yuuki left to do small favours for his master. He didn't mind, though; secretly he was enjoying the chance the down time gave him to play with the pets their group had obtained. Having not had one when he was growing up, he'd watched the other children around him merrily interact with their own and had been left to wonder if pet ownership was really as entertaining as they made it seem. As it turns out, it could be.

Not that he would admit such a thing aloud, of course.

Zira was quite happily plopped across another chair to use the High Wizard's lap as a pillow. The inn was empty save for their group, so it was nice to be able to relax and not have to worry quite as much about courtesy to strangers when all he really wanted to do was just relax and refuse to move. He smiled and nuzzled his face into the ponytailed magic user's stomach comfortably.

Jeliel, himself, had opted to simply lean back against the cushion of the couch he occupied, idly sifting his fingers through blonde locks and avoiding the occasional snickers from Alex and Shujiri as well as the giggling from Sahari and Lana. Once, he cracked open an eye to test the waters and see what the others were doing, but upon seeing Falcone glance up and smirk when the eye fell on him, he snorted and closed it again. Instead, he kept his mind busy with playbacks of the versus matches earlier. He played through them and mentally noted where what spell should have been used in place of another and which ones combined would make the most out of the magic available to him.

With Falcone and Ghebriel, it was difficult to tell where one of them ended and the other began; they sat so comfortably wound together that, had their clothes been the same colour, they could easily have been considered a two-headed lump of human-like flesh. The redhead kept his hands planted on the smaller's waist, using his head for a pillow, and the other occasionally wound strands of silken red hair around his finger as his head used the Scholar's chest and shoulder in turn, for his own pillow. Both wore identical, content smiles.

Even Pharin, brought back after the versus matches only for the sake of not having to repeatedly revive him during the event (Ghebriel was, by this point, painfully aware of how fond everyone was of playing Filir Hunting Season), sat perched in silence near the happy couple. He busied himself with preening his feathers and counting the little scale-like coverings of his tiny feet.

The rare moment of peace and quiet was bound to be broken eventually.

"Hey, double-ass-in, wakey wakey. Don't you dare fall asleep yet."

Shujiri cracked an eye open lazily, glancing over at the small bird-shaped creature. He frowned. "What do you want?"

"We need to go over the battle plan from here, dumb-double-ass."

Sahari snickered from her place with Dmitri and Jackel.

"Aye." Shujiri sighed. To be honest, going so long and doing so much on only so much sleep was starting to take its toll on even him. He looked forward to another night of restful sleep as soon as the discussion was over.

"I was wondering about that, myself." Alex put in, leaning forward so his arms rested on his legs and the majority of his upper body's weight rested on them. "We'll need supplies before we go anywhere else."

Shujiri chuckled at the sheepish look on everyone's faces. They'd passed through a couple of towns on the way, but everyone had been so tired that they'd completely forgotten that they were running low on some very essential items. Even Ghebriel was flushed slightly, glancing at the packs that were usually strapped around his legs and contained little potion vials and food for Pharin. Apparently he was going to need a few things, too.

Yuuki's and Tyr's stomachs growled as if on command, and now Shujiri and Zira joined the blush fest. The two monsters just chuckled nervously.

"That's another thing!" Pharin tweeted angrily. "I'm hungry! I demand food, and I demand it now! Even their stomachs agree with me!" he added, jerking his head towards the rurouni and the icy pup.

_You've been busy, _the Garm Baby said, looking up at Shujiri. His tail wagged slightly but lazily, a guilty smile in those dark eyes despite the flop of his ears to the side. His posture showed that he didn't really blame the Assassin for forgetting - just that he hoped for some food soon.

"We cannot hold your forgetfulness against you, Zira-sama; Shujiri-san. You have all been very busy with important matters. However, perhaps we could trouble you for something when you leave again?" Yuuki asked timidly, a small smile on his lips.

Pharin cheeped loudly, making Ghebriel and Falcone wince nearby. "And that 'again' had better be in the next couple of hours. I'm hungry, damnit!"

Ghebriel sighed, unwinding himself from Falcone in favour of leaning down to his packs to go through them. After a little bit of fishing he finally found some garlet, sighing again. "This is the last bit we have for now. We _will_ have to go out before long, or at least I will."

"I'll go, too." Shujiri said, standing and dusting his pants off. He gave Lana a 'thank you' smile and headed over to Ghebriel, offering his hand to help him to his feet.

The Biochemist took it and smiled, himself, pushing up to his feet.

Turning to the others, Shujiri called back as they started out, "We'll be back before too long. When we do come back, we'll have to go over what to do from here."

Before Shujiri could close the door, Zira bolted upright and shouted after him, "Shujiri! Wait!"

Pausing, Shujiri and Ghebriel turned back to the group, blinking. "Aye?"

Now it was Alex who snickered. "You don't know what we need to send you for."

Silence, and then Ghebriel and Shujiri returned to the floor and couch, respectively.

"I expected that forgetfulness from the airhead," Pharin started, a smirk in his big yellow eyes "But from you, x-boy? I'm disappointed."

Shujiri chuckled meekly. "Hush, or I'll have Falcone or Jeliel roast ye. We're getting hungry, too, y'know." When Pharin said no more and settled for glaring at him, the light-skinned man looked to the others. "So, what are we going for?"

"Blue gemstones." Lana and Zira chorused. "A lot of them."

Falcone thought for a moment. "Yellow and red gemstones for me, I think."

Jeliel snorted. "Some of all of the above, to be on the safe side."

"Oridecon and elunium, to be specific." Alex added.

"Poison Bottles." Sahari pitched in. "I snatched your last one earlier when I got thirsty."

Shujiri patted at his waist, blinking. Slowly his surprised expression became one of smug pride. "Well, I'll be. Ye got a lot better at that since we met up." he praised, his tone one of an impressed parent.

Sahari's chest puffed in pride, and Jackel's eyes pointedly stared out the window.

"Dmitri? Jackel?"

"Arrows of whatever kind they have." said Dmitri.

Jackel waved noncommittally. "Don't need nothin'; already got all the ammo I'm gonna need pardner. Thanks anyhow."

"Are you sure?" Lana asked incredulously. "The way you go through bullets with those guns of yours..."

Jackel chuckled and tapped Sahari gently, nudging her up for a moment. When he was free, Jackel leaned forward and plopped a few bags on the ground near the High Priestess as well as several clips and magazines. "Ain't all'a it, fer sure, but 's a good deal anyhow."

Lana and the others stared as they opened the bags, noting the separation by type and how full each one was. The only ones who didn't seem even the least bit surprised were Ghebriel and Falcone, and they could only assume that it had something to do with how they knew Jackel in the past.

"Aye, no bullets, then. So anything else?" The group shared a look, then Shujiri nodded. "Got it. We'll be back before too long with the loot."

The trip out didn't last long; Shujiri and Ghebriel went in, got what they needed, and retreated to the inn all in an hour's good time. Shujiri was thankful once again that Ghebriel's base classes had been in marketing as a Merchant before Kellasus found him; the strength and credentials to rent a cart came in handy with all the things they had to take back to the inn.

Once they'd returned, Shujiri and Ghebriel took the respective items to each person's room and set them with their belongings. The potions and herbs they opted to keep in the cart so that they would each have less weighing them down than necessary.

Blue gemstones to Zira and Lady Lana, red and yellow to Falcone; a bit of all three to Jeliel; monster and pet food for Yuuki, Mr. Nom-Nom and Tyr; garlet for Pharin; arrows for Dmitri; poison bottles for both Shujiri and Sahari; the oridecon and elunium Alex had requested; as well as the trappings Ghebriel required to make his bottles and potions. Even Falcone had spider webs as an extra gift from his lover so he could use them for one of his spells.

Red, yellow, blue, green, and white herbs were kept in the cart along with the blue, white, green, and yellow potions, and a back stock of other items beside the panacea and some food items they'd found and others which had been bought from other Merchants or shop keepers along the way. Ghebriel threw all of his alchemic reading materials into their own corner of the cart with the rest of his various empty bottles, bowls, and vials.

Back downstairs again at last, Ghebriel and Shujiri rejoined their friends and took their respective places back once more.

When the two were settled everyone offered up the zeny to repay them and they sat back down to listen for Shujiri's plan.

"Ye know we need to find Chrnos and Xabel." the Assassin began, glancing around to see everyone nodding in confirmation. "We need to head to Kiel's factory from here. That's where they were heading, so that's where we need to go. Godporing warping us off the island gave us a bit more of a head start than they had, so we'll have to use it to our advantage. We'll try to meet up with them there, and after we find out what they know, we need to track down Rine and convince him to join us."

"Convince?" Alex asked. "He shouldn't be that difficult; none of _us_ were."

Shujiri shook his head a bit. "That's true, but he _will_ probably need to be convinced. Even in the first life, he always seemed like he was suspicious of everyone. I don't know why; he never talked about his life much and if you asked him anything about his past, he went quiet or changed the subject. The only way you could _ever_ get him to consent to something was with zeny, for the most part."

"Greedy?" Jeliel asked, snorting at the information.

Zira frowned a bit. "That doesn't sound entirely right, Jeliel." he put in. "From what I remember, he hoarded zeny but he wasn't afraid to _spend_ it, either. There were times when we needed something - the guild, or us, individually. He would offer up the zeny to get it. We put him in charge of the guild treasury because he was so _good_ with zeny and we trusted him not to steal from us."

"Properly placed trust it was, too." Shujiri agreed. "We never noticed any losses; in fact, there were _gains_ we couldn't explain. He never admitted to dropping extra in when we asked, but that's the only explanation we could think of."

Falcone hummed softly at the new information. "So, then the money troubles we have, assuming he's in a similar financial situation now?"

"We wouldn't _have_ money troubles. Not if he's like he was then, anyway."

"So why do we need him for the fight, then?" Jeliel inquired. "It sounds like he's all about the zeny, but if it's a fight we're after, what good is he?"

"How about if I told you he's trained under the best 'Smiths in the world for forging and refining? Plus that cart's a pretty mean weapon when you know how to use it. Right, Alex? Besides, didn't you train under some of the same guys?"

The Whitesmith chuckled. "Sounds like quite the resume, then; I can see why we'd need him, too."

"But I wonder why he was so tight-lipped about his past." Ghebriel wondered aloud.

"We may never know. It seems like he's the same way in this life, too, though." Falcone commented. "Sarta was pretty quick to shoot us down when we asked about him in Amatsu. Do you think it's possible that he knows something about it that you never learned?" This question was directed at Shujiri and Zira, his eyes on them.

Shrugging, Shujiri gave a short 'hm.' "I don't know. He could just be one of Rine's close friends reborn with him. IF they were friends back then, too, then maybe he'd know the reason Rine was so hush-hush about it and he'd be the same way, out of respect for his wishes. The only problem is that I never saw Rine with that many people besides us."

"Either way," sighed Zira, "I do wish he'd let us make him more of an active member of the guild as well as the parties. He always declined, saying he had things he needed to do; the only times he got actively involved were times where zeny or Alberta were involved, although when we traveled there, he'd try to avoid certain sections of the city..."

"Either way, aye, we need to find him. But we need to track down Chrnos and Xabel _first_, unless we happen across him along the way. The only thing that worries me about Rine is the time frame we have to work in. If he doesn't want to come with us, or we can't convince him quickly enough, I don't know how things will go from there. We need _everyone_ together to stand the best chance, but if we waste too much time, we'll lose precious time to train and stock up on essentials. If it comes down to it, we may be forced to just leave him alone and hope he decides to join us."

"We can't leave him," Zira insisted instantly, his frown deepening. "We need to keep everyone together, like you said. If we leave him we lose a part of the team's fighting side and we'll be leaving Alex on his own to repair things that break or get damaged during the fight with Satan Morroc. That puts him _and_ us at a disadvantage that we just can't afford."

Pharin flitted down from his perch to land on Zira's shoulder, making the blonde flinch a bit when the round-bellied homunculus's talons dug slightly into his shoulder to steady himself on his new perch. "Blondie's right, blueberry boy. We can't go into that fight without everybody. _Everybody_. Even Captain Candy Cane. I'm tired of watching everybody die and I'm tired of watching my _master_ die because you guys can't get it right. _I'm_ tired of dying because you can't get it right! There's no other option; he goes with us, or he goes with us by force!"

"I don't like the idea of kidnapping." Lana softly admonished the Filir.

"I don't like the idea of dying a thousand times so you guys can get your priorities in order." Pharin shot back, wings flapping angrily. "Screw human laws; do you think Satan Morroc listens to them? Do you think he has a conscience for all the lies he's taken on all the worlds you idiots have been on? 'Gee I feel bad for leveling several worlds and squishing innocent human beings like so many bugs under my feet, I'll go turn myself in now'? Damnit, he'll kill you without a second thought. Helheim, he'll kill you _with just a thought_ at all! And if you get in the way when he's moving, he won't even _have_ to think - you'll just go squish! Humans are squishy, you know!"

Everyone was silent as they reflected on the angry blue creature's words. He had a point, as much as they hated how harshly it was worded; they couldn't afford to let Satan Morroc have any advantages over them that he didn't have already in power and size. It was bad enough he had human helpers. They still didn't know _why_ those people were helping him, to begin with.

After a while, Jeliel was the first to speak. "So there's really no waking up from what's going on, huh?" The question was flat and weighted.

Expectedly, no one answered.

Ghebriel shuddered under the weight of the realization of just how real and dangerous the situation was for them all, and Falcone pulled him close until he rested his head against his chest. Looking across the room to the group's leader, the bespectacled man asked softly, "So the chance that we could lose one another again, then...?"

He didn't really need to ask; like Jeliel's question, his didn't require an answer to point out the obvious.

Shujiri stood to his feet, all feelings of joy and entertainment from earlier now gone and replaced with a morose sense of dread and an understanding so clear it could have been labeled as fear, itself. He'd known what they were all getting into, and deep down, he knew they were all aware from the beginning of what they'd signed up for by rejoining the quest. That didn't ease his feeling of guilt at knowing that he could potentially be leading them all right back into a slaughter they were all painfully familiar with.

As the Assassin dusted off his clothes again, his eyes on the floor, unable to meet anyone's gaze - not that anyone was looking up to meet his, either, having immersed themselves in their thoughts about what was ahead of them - he steeled himself for the long walk up the stairs to his room. He didn't need to look over to see Zira's brilliant eyes flooded with silent tears from the weight of the somber emotions that filled the room from its occupants.

He didn't think that he could make it upstairs with dry eyes if he did.

"We should all get some sleep. Bright and early in the morning, we'll set off for the factory. Hopefully we'll catch Chrnos and Xabel there, and we won't _have_ to worry about how long it takes to recruit Rine."

With this, he turned from his friends and started upstairs, followed one at a time by the others. It would be a long, relatively sleepless night.  
**To Be Continued...**


	49. Down the Lunatic Hole

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **Let's play a game - see how many references you can recognize! I thought it would be good to break up the severe tone the story's unexpectedly taken on with something lighter so as not to depress everyone (myself included; I get way too involved int he lives of our characters, omg). Mr. Nom-Nom, Jeliel's accidental pet Lunatic, who lives in his top hat, is especially showcased in this chapter. (I believe you should be able to find a picture of the exact hat I mean on RMS.) No reason to even pretend this needs a serious theme song; let's go with Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit. ...Yes, I know. Shut up.

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Five: Down the Lunatic Hole  
**_Shujiri's eyes opened slowly to the light of the moon that shone into the room he occupied._ _The room was cast in cool shades of blue and pale opals beneath the stars that hung in the sky like infinite diamonds twinkling just out of reach of the weary and ragged souls below._

_His first thought was that it was too early to get up; he should yet still have time left to sleep before the morning came and forced them to vacate the inn. He would need his strength and for that he needed all the sleep he could get when the chances arose. It was a luxury he so rarely afforded himself, anymore._

_Something, whether instinct or a vague curiosity about his surroundings at this time of night, pried the Assassin Cross's eyes open once more, blinking them until they were able to remain open for a few seconds. He turned his head slowly this way and that, taking in the nighttime scenery around him._

_To his left, in the room joined to his own, the door had crept open from the gentle breeze that roamed the halls. It now stayed open widely to allow the blue male to glance through and check on the other room's inhabitants._

_Zira lay soundlessly, unperturbed for once by nightmares of lives gone by. One thin arm rested draped across Jeliel's midsection, loosely hugging his form against the High Wizard as he slept with his head propped up on his shoulder. His other arm he kept curled around himself, perhaps for the lack of a better place to put it. A long leg was curled around one of the other man's, the other pressed against the trapped leg of the other man. Cerulean eyes were closed to the light of the moon, blonde hair spilling around him like a golden river._

_Beside the High Priest, Jeliel lay on his back and kept his wings pressed against himself in a comfortable arch. One arm was stretched out beneath the lighter man's shoulders, cupping the one facing the ceiling and holding him closer. The other lay at his side, his hand clasped around the blonde's that lay at the side of his abdomen. He seemed quieter in his sleep than he was awake - less agitated._

_Nestled carefully in the Wizard's cloak on the floor, in the corner of the room, Yuuki's egg was kept safe from the cold of the night air and out of the way of anyone who would enter the room from either the side door, connecting it to Shujiri's, or the front, which connected to the main hall._

_Mr. Nom-Nom was..._

Where's Mr. Nom-Nom?

Looking for someone, Assassin?

_Shujiri jumped instantly, but for some reason, he felt weighted down; he couldn't lift himself very far. He chanced a peek down towards his chest, where the weight seemed to be centered, and froze._

_Two glowing red eyes stared back at him with a menacing light from beneath tufts of fluffy white fur. Twin long, white ears poked out from the top front of the fluff ball, alert and upright as opposed to the usual, more casual mid-flop._

_"Mr. Nom-Nom-?" Shujiri began, but he was cut off._

Indeed, it is I, Mr. Nom-Nom. What a terrible name for someone as amazing as me! Mr. Nom-Nom! That blasted name will haunt me to my grave. But, no matter; that is hardly what I've come to you for.

_Shujiri blinked._ This can't be happening.

And why can't it? I'm here, aren't I? You're here. Or are we here? Are we just illusions? Is this a dream? Is it a mind game thought of and played by the conspiratory gods you humans so foolishly believe in and spend your lives being subservient to?

_This gave Shujiri a reason to pause his thoughts. After a moment, he started, "...You can hear my thoughts?"_

You bet your hairy rear end I can, buddy-boy. I know what you're all up to. You see, I've been collecting information - very valuable information, if I might say so myself. My master will need all of it to prepare for the big battle later.

_The red flags in Shujiri's mind were up, but despite this, they still had to contend with the part of him that was half-asleep and was convinced that he was dreaming. "Jeliel?"_

Je-? You're a dense one, aren't you?

_"I take offense to that, ye know..."_

Then wake up and smarten up. Come on, opponents are no fun if they're not really conscious for the best part!

_"..What best part?"_

You should watch out for those wild cards fate likes to throw at you, Assassin. You should know by now it will only bite you in the end. Maybe this time you'll get lucky and everything will fall in your favour.

_"Wild cards? Like what?"_

I don't know. Why don't you ask someone else?

_"Like who? And how do you know so much? Who are you giving information to!?"_

Why don't you..go ask Alice?

_Shujiri shuddered as a feeling similar to vertigo passed through him and then was replaced with the sensation that the ground had dropped out from beneath him. He sat up looking down to what should have been the floor. Instead of hard wood flooring, he saw nothing but a black abyss._

_Then he started to fall._

_He tumbled for what seemed like ages until finally he saw a large body of dark, green, murky water rushing up towards him. For a brief moment he was worried about what a fall from this height into a motionless stretch of water could mean for him; it only lasted for that moment, however, when the water seemed to magically open up to him._

_As he fell in, the gap closed and Shujiri was swallowed by the under currents, swept away several minutes from the site of his fall. The Assassin was surprised to discover that he could breathe, but counted himself lucky for it._

_When the current finally stopped, he kicked back towards the surface where the sun's light shone down from overhead and permeated the darkness of the waters._

_Breaking the surface, Shujiri was amazed at what he saw._

_Flowers - larger than he, himself was tall - dotted the landscape between rows of floating lamps made of fire flies. Large bees drifted on the breeze from flower to flower, collecting pollen from one and then moving to the next. The whole area seemed overgrown with plants; in fact, most of the things he recognized as normal, every day objects were _made_ from the plants around him!_

_Shujiri searched his memory for the mention of such a place, and found it: Splendide._

_His blue eyes finally fell back to the ground in front of him and he saw Mr. Nom-Nom, clad in a little vest, as he chomped happily on a carrot._

_"Hey!" cried Shujiri._

_Startled, Mr. Nom-Nom faced him for a split second and then took off._

_Shujiri recovered quickly from his surprise and jumped out to run after him. However fast he was, though, the little monster somehow had gotten faster here. Eventually, Shujiri was forced to stop for a chance to catch his breath and watch the troublesome pet hop out of sight._

_A voice from above Shujiri caught his attention._

_"You seem lost, Assassin."_

_A large Fabre, bigger than any he'd ever seen before, sat perched atop one of the giant flowers. In its grasp was a pipe like that he'd once seen Eddga with and it took a long drag from the item before facing him and releasing the breath. A ring of smoke puffed out and framed the human's face, forcing him to swat it away, coughing in disgust; he never understood how anyone could stand to use such disgusting things, and this just served to reaffirm his hatred for them. It simply smiled at him and said, "Or you seem to know everyone else's way but your own._

_Shujiri didn't respond._

_Seeing that the human wasn't about to speak, the monster continued again. "Nothing will come from fighting but death and destruction. Can you protect them from the forces before your very eyes? From the blood in their veins? The things they remember, locked away and hidden?"_

_Without giving Shujiri time to reply, another voice spoke as the bushes nearby rustled. "Can you put them out of their misery when they need it? Will you keep your bond and discard the chains of illusion here? Have you found the cracks in the illusion?"_

_An Alice, clad in a strange, blue version of her maid's uniform, stepped through the bushes and into view, but kept speaking as she drew nearer. "The cracks of Delusion are starting to show themselves; if you want to be victorious, you have to ask yourself about them."_

_Finally, Shujiri spoke. "What do you mean? What do I have to ask?"_

_"What, that is to say- a human. Human, that is- you. And you, yourself, are the only one who can answer those questions you have. But what you have are answers, and you need the questions. Who is it? Who are they? Your answers trail away into the darkness and leave you, lost, here, with us. So you need to find your way back, is that the problem? What is the relation?"_

_The over-sized Fabre spoke again. "What is the consequence?"_

_"Is the truth what I see, or what I deem it to be?"_

_"Is there a truth at all?"_

_"Will the truth prevail? Or will it fail?"_

_"Who is playing in this impossible masquerade on this stage of dreams?"_

_"Has the queen beheaded Elys, yet?"_

_"Is your Elys safe?"  
_

_"And where do the things you think you know-"_

_"-Blur the boundaries of the unknowable?"_

_Together, the Alice and Fabre finished with rising tones, "Return, Assassin Cross Shujiri, and take back your reality. If you fail to banish the illusions, the darkness will overcome the light and the light of hope will flicker and die forever in the red abyss."_

_Frowning, Shujiri felt a headache coming on. "Do you mean the battle?"_

_"The shadow's dream of truth and false will devour you if your strength wavers." Alice replied, sweeping the dirt back and forth aimlessly. She circled him, continuing her fruitless motions of cleaning, but paid it no mind. "You were selected to be on the stage by strokes of fate. The horizon of your destiny is as linked with that of your enemies as the horizon of day and night."_

_Once again the Fabre spoke. "You have an advantage. You just don't see it, yet. You don't know him, yet. You don't know what they are to each other, yet."_

_"Strength alone won't be enough to overcome this, Shujiri. Brute force isn't the thing we need the most." another voice said from behind him._

_When the blue-haired man turned, he saw Zira beside Jeliel. Both men were sipping tea from a ridiculously large tea cup which sat an equally ridiculously small saucer. The blonde paused, lowering his cup to the table between himself and his companion. At length, he added, "The queen is still gathering up the forces against us."_

_Now it was Jeliel who spoke. "There's something they want that you have, though. You have to protect that legacy."_

_"Keep it secret."_

_"And keep it safe."_

_"And keep in mind, Assassin Cross," a stranger's voice put in from behind Shujiri, "That magic and brute force aren't the most powerful forces in the world. Not even in one ruled by the gods."_

_Turning, the Assassin Cross was surprised to find that the Fabre and Alice were gone. He spun once again, and this time, Zira and Jeliel were missing. No trace remained to suggest they had even been there. He turned back towards his original direction one last time, and a tall High Wizard stood there. The top hat on his head had a pink band around it that matched the trim of his black robes. Somewhat sandy, pale blonde hair fell to his mid-back and draped over one eye. Angel wing ears and wings like those Godporing had given Jeliel topped off his unusual stature. In one arm, Mr. Nom-Nom was resting soundlessly, watching Shujiri._

_"Who are you?" asked Shujiri, wary of the man's sudden appearance in this unusual place._

_If the magic user heard Shujiri's inquiry, he gave no sign of it. Instead, he said, "You need to know your enemies as well as you do most of your friends to win this. What drives them? What drives you? _Are_ you prepared for every situation you'll encounter? You need to _be_ prepared. What the enemy has going for them, make up for with your own advantages."_

_"And what are our advantages, since you seem to know so much? And who are you? Is this who you were gathering information for, Mr. Nom-Nom?"_

_The High Wizard placed a hand on the man's shoulder, trying to seem calming and helpful. "Just remember one of the mottos of the Priest's profession: Love thy neighbour, forgive thy enemy. You have both of your advantages already on your side; all you need to do is find them and protect them. And, as long as you keep them in mind and don't sink to your enemy's level, you will have a fighting chance."_

_"How do you know all of this? You sound like you know us; how? Who are you?"_

_The man's face took on a thin smile, eyes soft with pity, as he said in a voice just above a whisper, "I'd imagine it was very lonely, not having anyone to connect with because they are all so swift to judge based upon what they see, and not what is inside. Cast aside, and forgotten..I can't imagine.."_

Shujiri jumped awake, eyes wide. He cast a quick glance around the room, wary that he might see the man again. How he knew so much was unnerving to him, but as he continued to look around, he still saw no sign of him. A thought struck, and he looked down at his body to do a status check. Noting he was no longer wet, he sighed.

_Just a dream._ The light-skinned man fell back to the bed, relieved. _It wasn't real._

Still, he had to wonder who the High Wizard was and how he knew so much. Why had his mind chosen to stand before him in this form if he didn't even know the man it was trying to make him see? And what a strange role Mr. Nom-Nom had been cast in. Come to think of it, who was the queen they kept mentioning?

Shujiri stayed in place as he contemplated the possible meanings of his dream, letting the cool breeze that drifted through the halls relax him; they had all left the windows open to fend off the heat, and he found himself thankful for it, not willing to get out of bed yet. Finally, he opened his eyes and glanced across the room to the door that connected his room to Zira's and Jeliel's, which Tyr slept beside peacefully.

The breeze had nudged it open just enough to see that they were sleeping comfortably entwined. Yuuki's egg was safely nestled in Jeliel's cloak off to the side as it had been in the dream, protected and warmed by the fabric draped around it.

Jeliel's hat sat on the night stand by the bed upside down so Mr. Nom-Nom could breathe more easily. The small Lunatic's head was poking up over the brim, ears up and alert as if inspecting a sound curiously. Bright, glowing eyes lit through the tufts of fur that had normally hid them in the day's light seemed to be trained on something.

With a slight shudder, Shujiri realized that he could swear those beady little eyes were staring at _him._  
**To Be Continued...**


	50. I'll Be Watching You

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **I'm highly disappointed in any Sound Horizon/Linked Horizon fans who didn't figure out those particular references. :/ Okay, the key for references will be given at the end of this one so that the author's note isn't like fifty pages long. _**I can't stress enough how important it is to note that for all NPC and monster characters in this story we either researched as best as possible, or admittedly took certain liberties with their back stories. When this happens, it will be noted** _**_here_.** I don't wanna get stoned for this, so I figured I'd better make dang well sure it's obvious to everyone before the chapters progress much further, especially after Hibram and coming up with Kiel/Kiehl. For the betterment of my life as a writer and the sake of not wanting to lose my hair via mass clump yankage, I've opted to just make up something for Kiehl/Kiel and, furthermore, there will be no direct distinction between the two, mostly because the servers I started on had NO requirement for this quest to get to the factory dungeon, and the guys who started me into playing it didn't show me that, and I have no desire to do five thousand steps to complete it on a new server just to write it that accurately. Maybe someday I'll come back and add in a different chapter as an "option two" read after these ones, but for now, this is what you get. Meh...Anyway, it's time to set out for the factory, but of course Falcone has to get long-winded first. So we'll go with CheongChoon. I don't remember where it plays, but google tells me it's partly in the Hugel areas. Thank you, google. You are my friend. You are my only friend in writing this monstrosity. *sobs brokenly*

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Six: I'll Be Watching You  
**"I know what I saw!" Shujiri cried out as he sat at the breakfast table across from Zira. "That Lunatic is possessed! There's a man he's been gathering information for and he said I needed to-"

Jeliel snorted at the accusing finger pointing at the little monster in his hat. "I could say there's something wrong about your frozen mutt always trying to molest my pro-"

Zira passed a cup to the magic user, smiling. "Finish that sentence."

"-per friend, here, but I'll take the high road and avoid it."

Jeliel's alteration seemed to please the blonde.

"The high road eventually leads to a cliff that just falls right back down onto the low road though." Sahari supplied helpfully, doing her best impression of a Ninja as she snuck more food from a still drowsy Dmitri's plate.

Shujiri glared at the girl half heartedly and then shook his head. "I know what I saw. It had red eyes and was staring right at me!"

Sighing, Falcone decided to play along. "And who was this man in your dreams that he supposedly collects information for? Have you ever met him before?"

"No. That was the first time, but some of the things he said made it seem like he'd known me for a while; before I woke up he even alluded back to how my life was before I met Zira. I don't know anyone who knows about that besides all of you. I never told anyone else."

"Might it have been Rine somehow connecting to you, trying to get to us unknowingly? Given everything else that's been happening lately, you can't brush that possibility off, really."

"Ye don't understand; Rine's a Merchant-based worker through and through. That's never changed - not even once. This man was a High Wizard, and he acted like the conversation we had was being monitored. The whole dream was like a big riddle; even the other monsters that appeared in it spoke in riddles. They were worse about it than you ever thought about being."

"Well, what did he look like?"

"Tall, with long blonde hair, but not as long as Dmitri's or Lana's; more like Zira's. Brown eyes, or at least they looked brown. He was pale - he looked tired, and when he mentioned the past, he looked pitiful. He had ears like Kurt did - remember his?"

"Mhmm..."

"You're just humouring me, aren't you?"

"Mhmm..."

"...Ouch. At least you're honest. But let me state for the record-" Shujiri leaned over the table, pointing into Mr. Nom-Nom's face with his fork. His eyes narrowed menacingly at it. "I'm watching your every move from here on out. One false move," he poked the Lunatic's nose with the bit of food skewered onto the eating utensil, "And I'll be havin' saddle of Lunatic for lunch. Ye copy?"

Mr. Nom-Nom stared at Shujiri for a moment from beneath the tufts of fur that covered his eyes. He leaned out and quickly chomped down on the food and, upon removing it made a hasty retreat back into Jeliel's hat.

As Shujiri sat in surprise at the little creature's action, the others howled in laughter around him. Finally, he pointed with renewed conviction at the hat. "I know that was your way of saying you're not intimidated! Don't play innocent!"

Calming at last, Lady Lana offered Shujiri a warm smile. "Relax, Shujiri; he doesn't have to feign innocence. I'm sure you were still half asleep when you saw what you thought you saw. Maybe he was looking at you because your movements and sounds woke him up."

Shujiri sighed. They could believe that they had all been reborn several times and that they, alone, stood between the embodiment of ultimate evil and the destruction of the world but not that one of the monsters they least expected was potentially collecting data on all of them for...what?

Well, it was clear at any rate they weren't going to believe him; he'd might as well just bite his tongue for now and keep an eye on the Lunatic. Even though he didn't get the feeling from the man he'd dreamed of that he was dangerous or trying to trick him, he was someone he'd never met operating through one of his friends's pets. That much he was sure of.

However, more pressing to his mind about the matter were the vibes he _did_ get through his instincts from him. The man seemed to feel old, despite his young appearance - older, even, than Jackel, who was the oldest among them. He seemed to know more than one life could allow and acted hesitant to show it. Both had been glaringly obvious to him.

There had been a feeling of familiarity, though whether it was that of knowing someone or knowing _of _them, he couldn't really tell; he couldn't think of anyone he knew who fit that appearance. Could he have been a messenger for the gods? That would explain why he appeared when he wasn't a familiar face...

Further more, he talked like he knew their enemies as well. How could he know both of them? The man had an air of respectability and Shujiri had to wonder what any normal, sane, respectable person could possibly have to do with them if not to fight against them.

Sahari's chuckling broke the Assassin Cross's concentration. He glanced up to see what she found amusing and grinned, himself, at the sight before him.

Pharin flitted just out of reach of Jackel, who was desperately trying to reach him at the same time as he tried to get his guns back from Ghebriel. The Biochemist seemed to have confiscated them before he could attempt to use them on the homunculus. Jackel's horns were decorated with bits of food like wearable skewers. It was easy enough to tell that the small creature of flight had been circling overhead and dropping food onto the gun expert's horns for a few minutes now and had only just been caught.

Cerulean eyes watched observantly as Shujiri began to laugh along with the others over the scene the two cut. Zira had been feeling the tension and frustration growing in his best friend despite the joking he had been part of over it, and although the description sounded familiar to one he'd grown up hearing of from someone else, he didn't want to worry anyone or jump to conclusions about it. He just wasn't ready to admit to what it could mean for them - for everyone he cared deeply for.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Alex inquired as he finished off his glass of milk. "We're heading out, right? Or do we need some time for some of us to recover from temporary insanity?"

Shujiri scowled at the 'Smith, but sighed. "No, we're going to the factory today. We have everything we're gonna need and we're pretty much still packed up, so we can leave when everyone's ready."

Dmitri was the one to sigh this time. He looked woefully to the room he had stayed in last night, feeling suddenly very drained despite his good night's sleep. "So long, comfort; I knew thee well, but not well enough."

At his side, Sahari swatted his arm. "Don't whine."

The bowman snorted at the seemingly mature command. He knew her too well to fall for that, though. "You're just mad because I didn't let you go try to sneak into Ja-"

The arm to his stomach effectively silenced, and winded, the Stalker.

Lady Lana smiled tenderly at what the girl was trying to hide. She'd been like her, once, too - had been at an exploratory age where curiosity became true interest. She knew what Sahari was going through in the seemingly oblivious Gunslinger's presence. More importantly, she had seen enough cases to know that what she recognized in the young female Assassin was not a simple infatuation or something impure; it was the desire to be taken seriously.

Ah, but she had a feeling she knew the primary reasons for nothing being able to develop. Sahari was a grown up, for the most part, yes. But despite this fact, the man was close to twice her age.

The High Priestess knew her talk with Jackel on the air ship had begun to sink in already and for that she was glad; he deserved happiness just like the rest of them. He shouldn't let himself be chained to the past to the point where it made the present unbearable. If he could get past the feelings that he would be unfaithful to his wife's memory by being happy again and that it wouldn't be right because of the age gap, and if he could let go of the notion that a girl of Sahari's age would only really be simply infatuated with him rather than in love, they could be very happy together.

But that could be easier said than done. Lana had seen the love and agony in those honey-coloured eyes when Jackel had talked to her about his most beloved. Maybe he had remarried in past lives after her, but he couldn't have been comfortable with it, however much he may have loved them. Perhaps the blonde hadn't known him long, but he seemed the type to be entirely faithful through the end. To let himself fall in love with someone else, _really _love them, would be like slapping the woman in the face - something Jackel just wasn't capable of.

_It must be so lonely to live with your heart still in the ground, trying not to let it beat..._

The melancholy smile on her face soured the slightest bit as her brow furrowed in sympathy. She hoped Sahari could get the kind-hearted man into the present with them, where he belonged. She just knew his wife would never want him to torture himself like this; no good person worthy of such real love ever would.

Shujiri's perceptive, sharp eyes caught the change in the woman's expression and although he wondered at the cause, he dismissed the pang of jealousy when he noted the direction of her gaze. He couldn't let himself get caught up in the possibility that she felt differently for the Gunslinger than he'd originally read from her. Instead, he turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "Alright; is everyone done down here?"

The group gave a reluctant nod and dispersed to gather their things.

At last, everyone was present and ready to go. Alex passed the inn keeper enough zeny to cover their stay and any damages they may have undoubtedly left behind, and they were off.

For a while, they traveled in relative silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

When the silence became too loud for him, Shujiri mused aloud, "So, what are we in for?"

Pharin laughed from his perch atop Ghebriel's head. "You don't know?"

Shujiri flicked a knife over his shoulder at the little creature, and despite knowing it would miss Pharin and his master, he still snickered at the shared indignant squawk from Ghebriel and Pharin as well as the growl of warning from Falcone. "It's been a long time since I even thought about going there."

"'N I ain't _never_ been." Jackel seconded, head tilted curiously. "Where's this place at, anyhow? Why're them fellas goin' there?"

Falcone spoke up. "There's actually a very interesting story to answer that," he began. "The man who owned the factory built it for the creation of machinery. Very specific machinery, actually. Whenever anyone tried to ask why, he would never give them all the information, and if they tried to ask how he accomplished his second goal, he would never tell them _anything_. Given the physics and nature he'd messed with, it's difficult to even fathom that such a thing was possible."

"Looks like it's story time." Sahari whispered to Lana and Shujiri having caught the glint in Falcone's eyes.

Shujiri chuckled but it was drowned out by the red-eyed Professor's words. "It all began a long time ago..."  
**To Be Continued...  
_THE LIST OF REFERENCES IS_** **_BELOW_**:  
[. . .go ask Alice?] A reference to the suggested listening music mentioned in the author's note for the last chapter, Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit. It's a very druggy song and it's pretty short and it can get annoying I suppose, and I might be showing my age a bit with liking it enough to use it for a chapter 'theme,' but I couldn't help myself...  
[Mr. Nom-Nom] LOL cats reference, with the nom nom bit. Jeliel would actually have rather named him something along the lines of Obnoxious Little Hellion That Stole My Hat And I Want It Back, but because he lives in my brain, he will follow my orders. /heart  
[A large Fabre,. . .] Guess who he is? Yep! The hookah smoking caterpillar. What better monster to play a caterpillar than a...caterpillar? Worm? What?  
[An Alice, clad. . .] Yes. How original of me.  
[The cracks of Delusion. . .] Delusion was the server my otouto and I played on where the magic hat that had a rabbit in it (you wore it upside down though) was first introduced to me. It gave the wearer a pretty dang impressive matk boost, so it was -PERFECT- for Jeliel. Especially considering what I have in mind for him later. From what I know now, the Delusion I knew has been killed dead and remade into a shadow of its former glory, but they might have altered it since then for the better? I don't know. Once a server wipes I tend to not go back for a second helping of the same punishment...  
[Elys] Sound Horizon reference, both from Elysion and again in a brief reference from Marchen where Tettere mentions his 'Elys,' or ideal bride. Arguably this girl, Sleeping Beauty/Dornroschen, is his first/second wife, depending on your stance of if he's the same prince that married Snow White/Schneewittchen or not because the colours he wears changes from one girl to the other. Either way, the way Elys is mentioned here is used to reference someone special to you or who has a special connection to you or your circumstance.  
[. . .shadow's dream of truth and false/selected to be on the stage by strokes of fate.] Moi dix Mois - Shadows Temple reference. I love that song so much;the music's just beautiful in it.  
[The horizon of your destiny is as linked. . .] Linked Horizon shout-out. Revo-sama is such a genius.  
[. . .as the horizon of day and night.] Can be considered both a Marchen and Roman shout-out as well as a Sound Horizon reference in general. Two of my favourite albums. /heart  
[-. . .he saw Zira beside Jeliel.] Filling in for the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, of course. This has nothing to do with the fact that Zira is a tea guzzler from hell. Nope, nothing at all.  
[The queen. . .] This will be revealed later, but I suppose the title itself isn't entirely accurate. Still, it's the best I could do with the story references used. It's going back to the queen from Alice in Wonderland, though, and who the person is that represents her for this particular story.  
["Keep it secret." "And keep it safe."] Lord of the Rings. Aren't I a line thief?  
[. . .magic and brute force aren't the most powerful forces in the world.] Going back to an episode of Mummies Alive where Rath and Armon were having an argument: brains or brawn? Personally, I pick brains.  
[. . .be prepared.] Lion King reference here. "Be Prepared," the song from Scar to his hyena minions.  
[Love thy neighbour, forgive thy enemy] I sincerely hope this is obvious...  
[. . .judge based upon what they see, and not what is inside.] I hope that one's obvious too.


	51. The Tale of Kiel Hyre

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: **As stated before, I'll mention when liberties are taken with mobs/MvPs/NPCs from the game, and it's time to do just that. I've taken a major liberty with the back story for Kiel Hyre and his uhm...family. Heh heh...I didn't feel like giving myself a headache by following so many steps just to find out the story myself since google wasn't forthcoming in details without that, so I just made something up. I hope no one takes offense to it though. *bows apologetically* Although I had the chapter written before I actually heard the song I'm about to recommend for a 'theme,' the song fits so well that it had to be the one I suggest for it. Go to youtube and find Portal "You Monster." I even went back and threw in a few extra lines I hadn't originally written in for it in honour of how epic that song is. (Okay, so there's nothing about potatoes or birds in this, but you know what I mean.) So, that's the song. "Portal - You Monster."

**RoChronicles**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Seven: The Tale of Kiel Hyre  
**_Kiel Hyre was a proud man; smart, gentle, and as most will tell you, he was very, very wealthy. He amassed his wealth through various means - work, inheritance, progressive technologies such as the robotic maids that everyone seems to have these days..._

_He was also a very proud father of two children. The older, a boy who took his looks from his sire, was Aliot. The younger, a girl, gleaned her features from her mother. Her name was Alicel._

_Kiel's beloved wife, Laira, had passed on bringing Alicel into the world. Left alone to care for his children, Kiel became obsessive over the ability to always be near when they needed him. He was a good man with a good heart, and a very good father to the boy and girl. But one day, he learned something that would change his life._

"Mr. Hyre, I don't know the best way to tell you what's wrong..." a young brunette healer began, her copper eyes staring sadly into the white-haired man's. "There _is_ no easy way to say this."

Frowning, Kiel steeled himself for the worst. Miss Leine wasn't one to play jokes or make up stories, and she ha been there from the moment his wife had discovered her first pregnancy until now; whatever had her looking so upset, he knew it was a very serious matter. "Just come out and say it, Miss Leine; whatever it is not telling me won't make it-"

The older of the two broke off, coughing violently into the handkerchief his friend passed to him. This continued for a short time until at last the fit passed and he was left feeling weak - as if he'd breathed in liquid fire. With the cloth discarded, the healer took a deep breath.

"Mr. Hyre, you've contracted a very serious case of..." Leine bit her lip for a moment.

"Miss Leine?"

"The Crimson Plague, Mr. Hyre. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help you with it, either; it's terminal. By the time you began showing the more obvious symptoms, it was already too late. All I can do for you is take down your last requests and try to ease the suffering in whatever way possible."

"Then, I'm-?"

"Yes, sir. They're still working on finding a Cure for it, but that could be a while off. There hasn't been very much progress yet."

"And the children?"

"...Sir, I'm afraid this is a very contagious, dangerous illness. If they were to catch this from you, then with as young and vulnerable as they are to sickness...Sir, they would never have a chance. You must be quarantined from them; it's for their own good, sir."

Kiel looked down at his feet as they dangled from the edge of the bed. He knew the woman was right; he could never take that risk with Alicel and Aliot. As much as he wanted to hold them and reassure them that their father would be okay, he couldn't do it. He had to find another way.

Well, he supposed, he did already have a factory devoted to the creation of robots. What if...

With renewed determination, Kiel looked up into the face of the healer. "You'll take my last requests down?"

"I will, Mr. Hyre."

"Write these things that I'm about to tell you down, word for word. I'm going to give you a set of blue prints that I'll draw out for you afterwords. Give them, with the requests, to my team of workers and then, when they finish, I want the plans destroyed."

Confused, Leine frowned slightly. "Sir, what is it you are planning to do?"

"Something the gods may never forgive me for."

_So Kiel Hyre set about building an additional wing to the factory. It was done in record time - and not a moment too soon. Throughout the work process he had grown sicker and weaker. Now, confined mostly to his bed, he was anxious to complete the process that would essentially make him immortal and provide him the opportunity to look after his children for the rest of their lives._

_When the assembly line had successfully completed a duplicate of his body, Kiel was brought to the chamber to add the last touches. With Leine standing by in case something went wrong, he mounted the platform and stared at the robotic body. It was an exact replica of himself, and he was impressed. It was nearly impossible to tell that the form before him was made of metal. Content, the proud man stepped into the second chamber, closed the door, and signaled to flip the switch._

_At first, Kiel's scream flooded the room. The healer was tempted to rush up and cancel the process, but she remembered his requests and refrained from interfering. Then, a second joined in - a more robotic dissonance._

_When the screaming died down, Leine ran to the chamber Kiel had entered and forced the door open. The man's body lay, lifeless, on the floor. At his side were two pictures - one of his wife, and one of himself with his children._

_Remembering her duty, Leine swallowed the lump in her throat and ran to the other chamber. What she saw shocked her._

_The robotic shell of Kiel, Kiel D-01, sat sprawled on the ground. He stared up at her through eyes she had to fight to remind herself were not really his own, a confused frown upon his lips. Scholars argue over whether Kiel had really transplanted his mind into Kiel D-01 or had simply created a sort of carbon copy of himself, but whatever the side you believe to be correct, it was impossible to deny that the new Kiel D-01 who emerged from that chamber went on to care for Alicel and Aliot just as much as Kiel, himself, had._

_To the children, it was as if their father had returned to them again - victorious in the face of certain death. Nothing seemed to harm him now._

_But children grow up and while Aliot stayed behind to tend to the factory and assist his lonely, ageless father, Alicel grew beautiful, and fell in love, and moved away. Good news trickled in about her from time to time. She got a job; she was engaged; she was now a loving wife to a loyal husband; she was expecting their first child in six months._

_But, nothing stays the same forever; there were complications during her pregnancy, and she went into early labour. The complications worsened, and the healers were presented with a dilemma: the mother, or her child? Who to save? Who _should _they save?_

_The choice, ultimately, was taken out of their hands; Alicel knew she would never make it out of the delivery room alive, and so she presented them with two requests: save her son, and deliver her body back to her father and brother to be taken care of._

_Kiel D-01 and Aliot were distraught but even in their grief, they held very different opinions of what should become of Alicel._

"Father, you shouldn't be doing this; it's not right. Alicel is gone; putting her into a robot's body will never be able to bring her back. I'm still not sure how it even worked for _you_, but at least you were _still alive _at the time!" Aliot shouted to his father's retreating form. "Don't play with life like this; you are no god!"

Turning back to face the pale-haired boy, Kiel D-01 called back, "Life? Is this life? Is this what life is - breeding and dying for the sake of the race's continuation? No! Alicel is _not_ gone and I won't have any talk that she is! After all the work I put into getting your mother and doing my best to make her happy, I still lost her. I _won't_ lose either of you, as well! Son, if we do this now, before her body has time to start breaking down too much, we can give her mind a new home - an immortal one! She'll never be hurt, never get sick; she'll be with us, and with her husband and son, forever! Right where she belongs!"

Sad eyes stared across the hall into robotic ones as Aliot came to realize his arguments were falling on deaf ears. "What about when they die, then?" he tried, hoping his last point would free his sister from the same eternal hauntings his father endured. "What happens when her husband and son die? Will she be forced to live in a metal shell for the rest of eternity, wanting to see them and never being able to, all because you and I want her back now? How much do you still miss our mother after so long?"

When Kiel D-01 flinched, but turned and stormed off for the replication wing of the factory, Aliot whispered to the empty room in the cold night air, "Do you even feel anything at all, anymore? Or is what you think you feel just the memory of how it felt?"

_In the end, Alicel was given her robotic form, so like her father's with her mother's grace and beauty; she was given her memories and sent back to her family with the instructions that, when her husband passed and her son became an adult, she would return home._

_Aliot watched the copies of his beloved sister wander the halls, exact duplicates of her figure but with only the sole purpose of maintaining the machinery. His heart broke for each of them, and for the robotic figure living the ghost of a life his sister had rightfully earned for herself. It broke for the corpse of the real girl he loved so dearly, rotting in the cemetery beside his father's._

_Life continued this way until Satan Morroc's energies began to influence the world around them for the first time. Now, this was far before Morocc was destroyed; they had no idea what the world was really up against. Kiel D-01, feeling it was no longer safe for his son to leave home, confined him to the factory and decided to take matters into his own hands to ensure Aliot's safety._..

"Father! Let me out of this thing! Do you hear me?!" Aliot shouted, fist slamming against the door of the chamber he had been pushed into while filling his father's request to run the regular maintenance on it.

Kiel D-01's voice floated through the door, slightly remorseful and slightly twisted; the evil influence of Satan Morroc was getting stronger and now it was starting to taint the inanimate objects around the world as well as the living creatures - and that included the robots produced by the factory. "So sorry, my boy; I can't hear you over my efforts to save your life. You fought me over your sister, but look how well that turned out for her! Why do you still fight me on this now?"

"Father, listen to reason! She couldn't tell you what she wanted to become of her after her death, but I can! I'm still your living, breathing son! Your flesh and blood! I don't want to be like you!"

Kiel D-01 chuckled. "You don't know what you want, my son; you're still just a little boy!"

"I haven't been a little boy in nearly twenty years, father! I mean it: let me out of here!"

"You'll thank me when this is over, Aliot! I know you will! You can stay with your sister and myself forever, and we'll laugh about this whole thing later. Oh, look; the count down is almost over. Your new body must be nearly ready, then. Now, no need to thank me; I'm- I'm your father, after all! Hahaha, I do this out of love! Oh, good, count with me, son! Ten! Nine! Eight!"

"Father!" Aliot pounded on the door once again, desperate. Why couldn't he make the being on the other side of the door listen to reason? He was his son, wasn't he? He loved him, didn't he? ...Couldn't he?

"Six! Five! Four!"

"_Please_, I beg of you! Let me out of this thing! Father!"

"Three!"

"I don't want this!"

"Two!"

"You-"

"One!"

"-Monster!"

"Join us, my boy! Hahahaha~ Heeheeeeheee, you'll be with us forever!"

"GggaaaAAAAAAAAAA**AAAAHHHHH**!"

_The deed was done. Aliot was placed into the robotic body his father had prepared, and Kiel D-01 could look after his son and daughter forever now. Supposedly, they still stay in that old home above the silent factory and only run it when repairs are needed. The only living things there, now, most likely, are the monsters that venture into the first floor - the occasional Wild Rose, perhaps. Whatever became of Alicel's son and her husband is unknown; history never recorded the events that transpired in her home with them, but she did return to the factory after a time. Perhaps they did die, or perhaps they endured the same fate as those in Morocc did when it was destroyed. There's no way of knowing._

_The home above the factory is where Kiel lived, the factory is where he worked, and that's where Kiel D-01, Alicel, and Aliot supposedly stay..._  
**To Be Continued...**


	52. Kiel's Factory

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?  
**Author's Note: _I NEED A BETA READER LIKE YOU JUST HAVE NO IDEA HOW BADLY. *sobs* I've tried to do it myself, but I keep coming back and finding more every time I ready through the chapters._ _T_T_** I've had jury duty - DUTY, DO YOU HEAR ME GOVERNMENT, NOT SERVICE. -DUTY.- SOMETHING I DID NOT WANT TO DO. SCREW YOU AND YOUR AMERICAN PRIDE RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW TO PRUSSIA. *cough*... -all week, and my Sims 3 game crashed three times after I made quite a bit of progress (I tend to forget to save when I get engrossed enough into a game) and that definitely didn't help my mood. So, I'm not going to bother coming up with a theme song for this; you're on your own with that one. Just keep in mind that I did warn you I'd take liberties with the MvPs when I don't have more knowledge of them and Kiel and his monsters are a good example of just that. I tried to stick to what people know, but when you come from a server where things have been given shortcuts and your friends didn't show you the full length versions, you don't have very much to go on. Sorry ahead of time! Now, down to the business of the chapter itself. I'm sorry if it seems forced; I really didn't want to deal with the MvP fight but I have no choice. If they want to get stronger, they have to fight with people. Or monsters. Or, in this case, demonically possessed robots.

**RoChronicles  
**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Eight: Kiel's Factory**  
Horrified at the information revealed to them, Lana stared at Falcone. "He really did it?" she asked, eyes wide. "He found a way to store his..'information'..in a robotic body?"

Falcone nodded. "That's how the story goes, anyway; we'll find out when we get there if there's any truth to it or not. No one has ever wanted to venture deeply enough into the factory to try to find Kiel D-01, himself, to ask."

Zira frowned at this. "Do you think he would really do that to his own son?" he asked.

Sahari shuddered at the question and moved closer to Dmitri. "I hope not. That's terrible. Just imagine being turned into a robot against your will."

"Or at all." Dmitri added, smiling slightly at the girl's move towards the safety of his presence. He looped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her close to him.

"Can you imagine, though? Living forever." Falcone put in, posing one of the ancient questions. "Would you want to?"

Ghebriel shook his head, as did Alex. "Living forever while your friends and loved ones die around you would be terrible. All the sorrow you would see, with no way to put an end to it. You'd just go through life getting attached to new people, and then have to watch them die, too." Ghebriel glanced to his side at the Professor at this, scowling. "I don't know if I could stay sane through that."

"It doesn't sound like he was all that sane, either, thanks to the evil influences pressing down on him." Lana reminded the Creator. "But, you're right. The only way to get out of that loop is to lock yourself in solitude forever, but that's not much better."

"Aye." Shujiri concluded, shaking his head a bit. "It's a sad story, so let's hope that's all it amounts to: a story."

Alex hmm'd in agreement. "And if it really did happen, then Satan Morroc's definitely caused more pain and suffering than we know about, personally. Considering what we do know, that's saying something."

"Of course. None of us are ever around the first time he destroys Morocc to know the kinds of things he caused. We pick up where we started every time we're reborn, and since the only way we can see into the past is with what we know from history, legends, and stories passed down...That's part of why I made a vow to let this be the last time we have to face him. While I was looking for Zira, I went by the old Morocc Ruins and took a minute to really let what's going on sink in. He's destroyed so many worlds and taken so many lives - we can't let him do it again. We just can't."

"But I wonder what's making Chrnos and Xabel come here, of all places? If we haven't been here before-"

Shujiri stopped him. "Zira and I have, with Swift, but only a few times. We never stayed for long, and we didn't get very far; we were only hunting for albums for someone. I don't think we ever did anything there that would have left an impression for Chrnos to pick up on, though. Maybe he's picking up on something there from the enemy?"

"That's a possibility." Falcone relented with a small shrug. "The only way we'll know for certain is to ask him when we finally catch up to him."

After his long silence, Jeliel spoke. "Let's just hope that's sooner rather than later."

For a while, the group continued their travel in silence. They mulled over the story the Scholar had told, wondering how much of it could be true. Although it was typically a parent's goal to protect their young, would any parent really be able to take that responsibility as far as forcing their children into such long, tortured existences against their will? Then again, with as strong as Satan Morroc's influence had been from what they'd seen, it was entirely possible that nothing in the tale had been fabricated, after all.

Eventually their thoughts wandered onto other topics, and they settled onto those less depressing lines.

Sahari snickered, her gleeful musings catching Dmitri's attention. When he questioned her on it, she grinned up at him. "Remember being back at the abbey when Zira had his temp diva moment and freaked out about getting hit, and got so scared that he accidentally used a spell?" she replied, her voice a low whisper.

"A good one, too; it got us out of a lot of trouble." Dmitri replied, whispering as well. Hearing the topic of discussion, Jeliel smirked and put in quietly, "Yeah. I wonder what would have happened if we'd kept doing it?"

"Maybe we'd get lucky and he'd randomly Warp Portal us all to the factory so we won't have quite so far to walk." Alex added softly.

"I say we try it."

Dmitri shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen? He slaps us?"

This made Jeliel pause and wince. "You don't know how hard he hits. I know from experience."

"Repeated experiences." Alex amended for him, earning a glare from the teal-eyed man.

The Assassin Cross snickered again, but nodded at Jeliel's wise words. "Good point." she decided, her grin turning into a sly smile. "In the event of an angry angel boy, everybody use Mr. Pissy for a meat shield!"

Stunned, Jeliel gaped at the conspirators and made to voice his objection. However, Alex, Sahari, and Dmitri paid him no mind and began the assault.

At the front of the group, Zira had already taken his usual place beside Shujiri. He glanced around, taking in the scenery and noting with a slight twinge of disdain how monochromatic everything seemed. He sneezed into a tissue and pocketed it. "I hope I'm not getting sick." he murmured, ignoring Shujiri's chuckling for a moment. Once recomposed, he asked, "What's funny?"

Shujiri shook his head. He'd heard the chattering and opted to stay out of this one. Instead, he answered, "Somebody must be talking about ye. But, come on; you're a healer. Can't you just Heal the sickness away?"

"It doesn't quite work like that, but it would be nice if it- ow!"

Turning to face the others, Zira scowled. No one seemed to have noticed his outburst, much less to have been the guilty party for the sudden pain on the back of his head. He spun back to face ahead of them and gingerly rubbed his head.

"Something wrong?" Shujiri asked, his acting skills taking center stage as he feigned ignorance.

"I'm not sure, myself.." Zira began uncertainly. "it felt like someone hit me, but I don't see anyone."

The blue Assassin hid a grin when a sidelong glance revealed Sahari uncloaking herself and regaining her place by Jackel and Dmitri. "Maybe it was Pharin."

Indignant, Pharin landed on Shujiri's shoulder and tweeted loudly into his ear. "I did no such thing, Ass-hat!"

"Ahh! Begone!" Shujiri shouted, waving his arm wildly to dislodge the little creature's talons from his armour. When that failed, Zira sighed and gently removed Pharin, himself, passing him back to Ghebriel.

Pharin sat perched on Ghebriel's head, glaring at Shujiri as if daring him to accuse him again.

"What would he have even dropped on me, anyway?" Zira questioned.

"A nut?"

Again, Pharin objected. "The lies you spew!"

Frowning, Zira seemed unsure. "What kind of nut- ow!"

Blue brows arched. "Something hit you again?"

"Yes! This time it was my arm, and- ow!"

Seeing Jeliel and Dmitri's arms retreating, Shujiri could fight back his amusement no longer and he succumbed to the urge to laugh.

This dead give away of events was unnecessary for Zira to realize what was going on. He turned in place, stared Jeliel in the eyes, and slapped him across the face.

The action made the others howl with laughter as the Wizard gingerly cupped the stinging red mark. He felt a bit better at this, but curiosity still demanded an answer. "What the Helheim do you think you're doing?!"

Outraged at being singled out, Jeliel shrieked, "Me?!"

"Yes, you, you bloody idiot!"

"Sahari wanted-"

"Don't blame an innocent girl for your own actions!"

"-She wanted to know what else would happen if we kept smacking you at the abbey, so we tried it to find out!"

"Now you know, and I'm telling you, you'd bloody well better not do it again, you stupid git!"

Lana giggled when Zira turned back to face the front and stomped closer to Shujiri, getting as far out of the reach of the others as possible. "You did deserve that," she scolded quietly. "You should be ashamed. All of you."

The group continued on in relative silence from that point. Zira stuck close to the relative safety of his oldest and closest friend while Pharin, for his part, took up the surprisingly considerate role of keeping the others in line. He didn't have any ill will to the blonde healer since they didn't really interact that much, and after all, he did enjoy picking on the others to begin with. This just provided him with a legitimate reason to do so.

At length they finally reached a beautiful, large house. They were reluctant to use the ancient, spider web-covered knocker at first. Eventually, Shujiri took it in his hand and lifted it. "Let's see how much truth there is to that legend." he sighed, hitting it against the door.

Jeliel stared. "What was that supposed to do?" he asked.

"Let whoever's here know someone wants in."

The winged magician spluttered at this answer. "There are several things wrong with your logic and the head on your shoulders if that's seriously what your answer is, Shujiri!"

"Like what?"

"First, suppose nobody's actually here. Who are we waiting on to let us in - an imaginary robot? There's no proof he's actually down there or that that really happened! Second, whether or not Kiel really did what the story said he did, what if a monster heard that? If we die, I'm going to haunt your ghost until the end of eternity."

Shujiri snickered. "How do you haunt a ghost?"

"Come to think of it," added Ghebriel, legitimately confused, "Doesn't infinity suggest that it never ends? So how can you haunt something until the end of infinity if there's never going to _be_ an end to infinity? You could haunt it for an undefined length of time, but not-"

The door cracked open slowly, drawing everyone's attention to it. Peeking out was an Alice, and once she saw the group, she opened the door wider. She stepped out of the way to allow the group to come inside.

Shujiri looked at the monster for a moment, his eyebrows arched. Not quite the robot he'd expected, considering what they'd been told, but he was willing to bet that some parts must have been exaggerated along the line of retellings it must have gone through over the years.

As the monster wandered off, Shujiri and the others watched her until she was out of sight before daring to venture into the home.

"That's new." Dmitri admitted.

"Well, let's not waste precious time; they must be either on their way still, or here somewhere already. If they're here, then we need to hurry up and find them. Since we may need to go into the lower levels of this place, be careful not to get lost; stick together and try not to make too much noise because Jeliel was right - we don't know what's here. If Chrnos picked up on the enemy's memories, he could be dangerous even if we'd brought _six_ healers. As it stands, we only brought _two_."

Shujiri's directions tapered off at the sight of a floating ball making its way to them. Eyebrows arching again, he tapped Falcone. "What do ye make of that?"

The redhead edged closer and peered at the floating sphere. "I'm not quite sure. There aren't any stories mentioning ghosts here, and this isn't the right area for Ghostrings or Whispers. It _looks_ like a ball of wires and-"

A soft glow overtook the little ball, and when it started to tic, sudden realization kicked in over what was happening. The friends all quickly jumped away, leaving it to randomly choose a person to venture towards.

Seeing it come in Lady Lana's direction, Jackel quickly drew a gun from his hip and fired a single shot at it. The bullet triggered the explosives in it and parts of wiring and tubes flew through the air. The High Priestess was unharmed, but Zira did a once-over to be on the safe side regardless. Once Zira was content that she wasn't hurt, Jackel asked, "What in tar nation was that dern thing? It could'a blown us all to the Ragnarok 'n back 'gain!"

The male Assassin Cross shook his head. "I'm not sure."

Jeliel gave a soft hum, glancing at the largest part of what remained of the thing. He moved closer, wary of what it could still be capable of. Focusing his concentration on it entirely, the High Wizard worked hard to try to bring up the lesson his father had once taught him on how to identify the properties of things around him.

he had learned how to look into something and see what its base was created by in his youth; as he grew older, he'd been taught to apply this to the monsters running around as well.

After a span of intense focus, a dim black light swirling with grey mist revealed itself to the forefront of the winged Wizard's gaze. He knew instantly what had happened.

"It's a Constant - a monster created by Satan Morroc's influences here on some of the parts in the factory further in. It's a Shadow type."

Zira smiled, impressed. "I didn't know you could do that." he mused.

"My father taught me and said that I would need to know it someday. I haven't done it often, so it takes too much concentration to use it in a dangerous situation where sitting still gets you killed."

"Ah," Pharin said in understanding, "You can do something useful but only when it's not useful anymore. That's perfect, then."

Before Jeliel could roast the Filir, Falcone spoke. "So, now that we know what created that thing, I suppose that also answers the question of if we should be wary around anything else in here or not."

"Better to be safe than sorry." Ghebriel muttered, taking the redhead's hand in his own.

Lana seemed concerned. "How did it know where to find us? Or that we would even be here at all?" she asked.

It was Alex who provided his suspicion first, jerking his thumb towards the Alice that was sweeping her way back into view. He whispered, feeling the sensation of being watched growing stronger. "She let us in and just walked away from us. If that's not suspicious, I don't know what is. Plus, now that there was an explosion, it seems like she's coming back to sweep up what should have been our remains. We should be careful what we say and how loud we say it while we're here."

"He has a point." Shujiri added quietly. "That means we should also be careful about how long we let ourselves sit idle around here."

Falcone nodded. "And with the way this place was built, with the _purpose_ it was built _for_, there's no telling how many eyes and ears the walls have nor where they're all hidden."

"Aye. Let's get going before something else can find us."

The team proceeded carefully through the elegant house, each searching for the Clown and Lord Knight they'd come for. Their search was postponed momentarily upon the arrival of another Constant now and then, but they were easily dispatched of. This left the heroes to continue deeper into the building.

Finally, they had checked the last of the rooms and were ready to go lower when a graceful movement caught their attention. The figure they'd seen drifted down the hallway and to the stairs, shadows clinging to it the entire way and thus concealing any specific details or characteristics. It wasn't carrying anything, though, so they felt confident enough about ruling out that it could have just been another Alice or Aliza.

Zira and Shujiri exchanged a look and cautiously followed the figure in silence as it went deeper and deeper into the heart of the factory. They felt uneasy about following an unknown figure into territory that was more unfamiliar than most, but they couldn't afford to call out to it in case their target wasn't who they hoped it would be. They had to wait for it to venture into one of the areas with better lighting.

After a bit of walking, a second figure stepped into the path and, although it remained shrouded in shadows as well, they could tell that it was quite obviously male. This one was too tall to be one of the monsters they'd seen so far.

The second form met with the first for a split second, then they were off past one another in opposite directions. The speed they used suggested that they were suspicious of being followed despite the fact that darkness cloaked the group as much as it did them.

Despite his earlier warnings, Shujiri motioned for half of the group to follow one figure and the other half to trail the other. If these were who they needed to find, they couldn't afford to lose them.

Shujiri, Sahari, Zira, Dmitri, and Alex went on their way after the first, leaving Falcone, Ghebriel, Jeliel, Jackel, and Lady Lana to follow the second. Each group walked for a while until the one they followed finally came to a stop.

The first form, graceful and slender, stopped in the midst of a large room with a set of stairs that lead down to a pool of water. Various machinery lay submerged in the liquid below and the air seemed to hum with the electricity they were generating for the factory.

At last, the five friends could see the face and body of the one they had been chasing so contently.

Long hair, as black as the night sky, cascaded in waves down a curvy body's back. Slender shoulders dipped back as a long, pale neck kept the woman's head tilted up to face the ceiling in a gentle arc. Long lashes kissed unnaturally pale cheeks and left the colour of the orbs hidden beneath her eyelids up to the imagination.

The clothes that adorned her body seemed more appropriate, somewhat, for that of a school-aged girl than the grown woman she gave the feeling of. Long legs descended from the short skirt she ware and her feet hovered a good few inches above the floor. Though there was no movement of the air, her hair and clothes fluttered slightly.

Surprised, Sahari whispered to the others, "Who or what is she?"

Dmitri didn't answer, leaving Shujiri to voice the creeping suspicion they had all begun to feel as they stared at the woman. "I don't know for sure, but I have a feeling that might be one of the ones in the legend Falcone told us about." he whispered back, not yet wanting to draw her attention to them and reveal their presence. It wasn't one of the men they'd come looking for - it was someone they didn't know, and that left open the possibility that they could be a threat to them. More so, he rationalized, if it was who he thought it could be.

The Assassin Cross kept his eyes trained on her, mentally noting how her posture and expression. He took in everything from the slightest furrow of her brow to the little downward turn of her lips, gave her the appearance of one who was either lost or confused, or who had lost something and was trying desperately to listen for it.

"She doesn't look human." Dmitri observed.

"Then," Zira started, "She must be-"

Shujiri's whisper confirmed the group's thoughts. "Alicel."

Upon hearing the whisper of her name, the woman's eyes snapped open and she turned to face the intruders entirely. Bright brown eyes became red and narrow, lips quirking at the corners to melt into an unnaturally wide smirk. Her hands, which had been balled into loose fists, shot open to reveal long claws at the tips of her dainty fingers.

Zira and Sahari gasped at the abrupt change.

Having had time to analyze the group, Alicel laughed and said, her voice a robotic mesh of machinery and the edge of a living, breathing woman near hysterics, "You know my name? Do you know where my son is? My father? Brother! There are strangers in the house! Kel, my little Kel; where are you? Mommy's going to take care of the strangers, don't worry; you'll be safe and sound, wherever you are!"

"Kel?" Dmitri inquired. "Falcone didn't mention anyone by that name in the legend. She's not making sense."

Alex nodded, eyes trained on the woman as she began advancing. "And I don't think she's going to start anytime soon. She looks possessed."

"She _is_." Zira confirmed, shuddering under the pressure of the evil aura that surrounded her. "I can feel it; one of Satan Morroc's followers has possessed the things that make up her body. I'd bet that's what's interfering with her programming and making her say things that don't sound cohesive together."

"Either way, it looks like we may be in for a fight." Shujiri put in, assuming a battle ready stance. "I hope the others realize who and what they're dealing with, too, before it's too late."

_**Elsewhere..**_

"This person's gonna just lead us in circles all day!" Jeliel hissed quietly, glaring at the form they were following. "We need to find out who it is and if it's the guy we're after or not. If we're just following a stranger, then we're not making any progress at all."

"All in good time," Falcone reassured gently. His piercing red eyes remained on the person ahead of them as they continued to follow them down the long hallway.

Finally, the figure stepped into an area where the lighting was bright and desks lined across the floor from one side of the room to the other. The man, for despite the slender frame it could never be considered a woman's, kept his back to them as if he had yet to notice their presence.

Softly, Ghebriel whispered, "That doesn't look like a Clown or Lord Knight."

Indeed, it didn't.

The white and black clothes looked like they belonged to a student in a school with uniforms or a business student; they were trim and proper, and they looked very well-kept. Now that they could see him better, he even seemed to be carrying something with him.

White hair, which would have been shoulder length if allowed to fall freely, was tied back into a low ponytail. His bangs swept over to one side of his face, bright grey eyes closed and head tipped up towards the ceiling as though listening for something. Although he seemed to be a little younger than Ghebriel or Lady Lana, the feeling he gave off made him seem much older - more mature. When his eyes opened again, he seemed upset.

Then, all at once, those eyes turned to the group behind him and it was as if they'd been thrown into a world of opposites. Where the irises had been the shade of the grey, shadowy stones outside, they had become as red as Falcone's and many times more intimidating. The frown on his face morphed into a smirk so evil and wide that it sent chills down their spines.

"How dare you invade our home? Have you come to destroy these so-called miracles - abominations like me? She warned me you'd come. Never listen, never listen! You monsters are all the same - you never even cared about what it is we wanted!"

Wide-eyed, Falcone suddenly understood who this man was. The ranting, nonsensical though it seemed, all pointed to only one person.

"Aliot..." whispered the red-eyed man, feeling a sudden burst of awe at the existence of such a bizarre, unnatural combination of machine and man. He felt pity for the soul that was possibly trapped within the wires and tubes that made up Aliot's mechanical body, but the inner teacher in him who was always thirsty for knowledge felt humbled and excited at the opportunity to meet such a bastardization of the laws of nature.

Having heard the name, Lana gasped. "You don't mean-?"

"I'm afraid I do. I think this man is Aliot Hyre."

The white-haired man moved in their direction slowly, long arms tipped with blades of various sizes and lengths drawing out from his back. They exploded out towards them, barely missing Lana and Jackel, their speed backed by the intent to maim and kill.

Aliot called them back to himself and stood, smirking. If he was bothered by the fact that he'd missed, he didn't show it. Laughing, he moved even closer to them.

This occurred several times, various party members dodging the blades and jumping away from Aliot's clawed hands when they swiped at them during the times when he was somehow able to get close enough. They remembered Falcone's story and didn't feel it fair to fight the being attacking them when he was clearly not under his own control. With such volatile behaviour and an erratic fighting and mental pattern, it was obvious that he was under the influence of darker forces.

Memories of Hibram surfaced, and the humans shuddered. No one really liked the idea of fighting another true demon like that.

As the ducking, dodging, and weaving continued, it was Ghebriel who first noticed an oddity about their attacker and the surroundings.

"Is it just me," the Biochemist began, dropping down to duck the blade that would have otherwise made a clean sweep across his throat, "Or does it seem like we're being herded into a certain area of the factory? He doesn't seem to be legitimately trying to hit us with his attacks."

Jeliel paled. "Come to think of it, have we seen any monsters since we started to follow him?" he asked.

Now the others felt their stomachs drop, too.

"Where do you think he's- ack!- trying to get us to?" Lana inquired.

"There's no telling," the Scholar replied, "But we need to get the upper hand before something happens to put us at a disadvantage."

"Can we really fight back, though...?"

_**Meanwhile..**_

Shujiri thanked Godporing silently for his new wings and the strength and speed they gave him. He was fast to begin with, but Alicel was quick at lunging in to strike at him. Though she hovered above the ground, she wasn't able to actually fly; her weight was too great for such a stunt because of all the components that made up her robotic form. With the wings he'd been given, he was able to stay out of her range - but that left Sahari, Dmitri, and Alex at a disadvantage.

So, the Assassin Cross settled for using them simply to hover near her and keep her attention focused primarily on himself and Zira.

After a bit of manipulation, Shujiri felt confident they had taken her focus away from their grounded companions. She now seemed entirely focused on the Assassin and Priest, her eyes never once leaving them; it was giving the two a slight sense of relief for a moment until Shujiri began to notice something unusual about her attacks.

"Zee, do you see anything that's off about her?" the winged Assassin called, eyes entirely focused on watching Alicel.

"Besides her overwhelming desire to send us to an early, swift, and agonizing death here?" the blonde retorted, jumping back from her when he landed to rest his tired wings. "Just how she reminds me of Hibram when he was possessed."

"Look closer." he called back. "Doesn't it seem like we're being backed into wherever she wants us like this? Alex, Sahari, and Dmitri are attacking, but she's got all of her attention on us."

"Ohh, how nice of you to notice! And I see your companions have met my boy, too; that's very good. He gets restless here, you know; he still hasn't quite gotten over the despairingly human desire for companionship, so he'll absolutely love having someone to play with."

The eerie, cheerful voice sounded like an impossible mix of robotics and humanity, and the undertone was so evil and dark that the sound of it made everyone shiver. When Shujiri and Zira turned to see what their friends were transfixed on, they were just as awed and unnerved by what they saw as they had been upon realizing who Alicel was.

Feet away from them stood a tall, white-haired man in a blue suit. Red eyes glinted with malice as they stared back at them; the danger his smirk radiated was amplified by the colour of his eyes and the way he held himself. His posture was confident - cocky and self-assured. Most distressing, however, was the black mass at his back. A giant face grinned out at them from it and multiple sets of red and black eyes gazed this way and that in no particular direction.

Sure that he had their attention, the figure drifted forward and extended his arms toward the Priest and Assassin as if intending to welcome them. When he was inches away, however, his smirk grew wider.

"_Dark Blessing_!"

Alex, Dmitri, and Sahari watched as an impact with seemingly nothing but air sent Shujiri and Zira a few feet back. They skidded a small ways back until they stopped at their feet. Whether the attack had drained their energy or they were just that badly hurt, neither had the strength to lift themselves from the ground.

The Stalker and Whitesmith took a protective stance in front of the two as Sahari dropped down to check on them. Although she wasn't able to heal them like Zira or Lana could have, she had a few bottles of white potion with her. It wouldn't do much good, but every little bit helped.

"Thank you for alerting me, baby girl; well done! Now, if your brother will hurry, your father will start! Don't you worry - we'll be rid of these nasty intruders before long; they won't hurt my little angel or my brave boy!"

With wide eyes, the three still conscious realized with a sudden, frightening clarity who they had just encountered and just how true Falcone's story had been.

"Kiel D-01..."  
**To Be Continued...**


	53. Rage Against the Machines

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note: **I am -SO- sorry to anyone who's been spammed by chapter edits recently. I finally found someone who's willing to help me go through over fifty chapters worth of fanfic. XD Add my back issues onto that, and it's taken a bit to finally update. I can only be upright for so long without getting an ache in my spine and, well, typing laying down doesn't work so well. I tried. I hope the battles ahead aren't too terribly written; as I've emphasized before, fight scenes aren't my strong point - emotional depth and psychological reflections appear to be. (A funny side note, though, is that while deciding what to name this chapter, my friend came up with the "Remember the Alamo" reference, but he made a typo and sent me "Remember the Alpo" instead. REMEMBER THE DOG FOOD! The theme for this, for obvious reasons, is Naive Rave. I hope I don't have to explain why...

**RoChronicles  
**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Nine: Rage Against the Machines**  
Dmitri kept his keen eyes locked on Alicel and Kiel as they advanced, stance wary and prepared to launch an attack if they came too much closer or began an assault of their own. He saw Alex at his side doing the same, and took a moment to hazard a glance at Sahari as she remained on her knees by Shujiri and Zira.

"How are they holding up?" he queried softly, brows knitted with concern.

Sahari looked up into the man's green eyes and shook her head, frowning. "They're not doing so hot." replied the auburn-haired girl, her eyes still glued to the two motionless men.

Worried, Alex asked, "Are they-"

"No," the young Assassin reassured, "But they're definitely not okay. They need healing badly, and I don't have enough white potions to do the trick. We need Lana."

Kiel all but giggled at the girl's words. "You won't be needing anything before long, little girl; that I promise. You've entered my home uninvited - unwelcome, I would say. You have no business being here, and so, I shall be sure that you don't remain here for long. Who knows what damage you could do to my family if I just let you run around?"

The Whitesmith scowled. "We didn't mean any harm," he said, hoping to diffuse the situation somewhat. he knew the likelihood of being able to talk to the possessed robot was slim to none, but he had to try; there was little the three of them could do with two of their number down and unable to defend themselves. "We came here looking for someone."

Kiel studied him for a moment, then snorted. "And why should I believe what you say? Danger is everywhere; you could have come to take my Alicel and Aliot from me!"

"We mean no harm." Alex reiterated, firm in conviction but gentle in tone. He made no sudden movements, hoping not to provoke the snowy-haired being.

Alicel and Kiel exchanged a look, the girl's features one of distress. When Kiel looked back to the two men and the lone girl, his expression was disapproving and dripping with disdain.

"What have you done with my grandson?"

Startled, Alex's stance faltered. "Who?"

That break in concentration was all Kiel needed. Taking the pause for guilt, he dashed forward. His left arm bent and twisted in an unnatural direction until it was replaced with a spear of colour matching the metallic clothing adorning his body. The axe wielder's inability to recover quickly was a folly in favour of the robotic man, and he took that opportunity to send a powerful Bash his way.

Alex was knocked off of his feet and thrown back a few paces, and although he felt a large bruise growing across his torso already, he was otherwise unharmed. Considering the damage that move could do when used by someone with practice as this creature seemed to have, Alex counted himself lucky that the sharp pain across his chest was his only problem.

Dmitri was instantly in position to throw himself in Kiel's path, intent on protecting the three downed men from being further attacked. He was mindful that Sahari was still moving about a bit behind him, tending dutifully to Shujiri and Zira as they knew the pair would if their positions were reversed; he had to keep the robots from focusing any attention on her, and that meant that until Alex was back on his feet, he had to make himself their sole target.

Alex groaned and flipped to his side, cringing. The pain was more intense than he had expected, all things considered, but he was still alive. He knew the blow had taken a hunk of his strength from him, but he also knew that he couldn't afford to just lay there until he felt better. His teammates were in danger and, although he trusted Dmitri's strength and speed to buy time, he knew that the Stalker was only human. He was bound to slow at some point - bound to falter somehow. When that happened, someone would get hurt. Alex didn't want that someone to be any of them.

Bearing this in mind, the light blue-clad 'Smith pushed himself up until he was sitting, willing the strength back into his body to stand to his feet. His determination paid off and soon he was back up beside Dmitri, although he wasn't certain how long that would last. The strength behind Kiel's blow had definitely taken him by surprise.

Dmitri cast a quick smile to Alex and turned his eyes back onto the father and daughter team in time to see Kiel race for him. He jumped back, barely avoiding a swipe by the point of the spear to his midsection that could have easily gutted him.

It took every bit of his will not to twist around and kick the man's arm in an effort to disarm him - a move which would have been futile and, for himself, rather painful. Instead, he jumped forward again and brought his sword out of its sheath, letting it parry the spear when it came slashing back down at him haphazardly.

The two stepped to one side as Kiel attacked again and again, and time and again Dmitri effortlessly leaped out of the way or deflected the blow with his broadsword. He found himself grateful, now, that he had spent so long in the company of the dancers of Comodo; the grace and elegance they had trained into him was turning out to be invaluable as he wove his way away from Sahari and the others.

Inwardly, he smiled; he had easily distracted the possessed machine from the female Assassin and her two charges that were now across the room from them, and he was thankful for that. Now all he had to do was keep Kiel's attention on him and pray to the gods that the other half of their group found them quickly.

While her father busied himself with the long-haired bowman, Alicel shrieked and threw herself at Alex. Her long and scissor-like claws clipped and slashed at him, but he was able to successfully block any real damage with his trusted axe. When he saw her back up and prepare to renew her assault, he seized that opening.

"_Over Thrust! Weapon Perfection!_" Alex caught the smile flashed to him by Dmitri and continued, launching his own attack against Alicel. "_Cart Boost! Cart Termination!_"

Alex's smirk at his success widened when he saw the woman's expression became one of surprise. It didn't last for long, however; her expression quickly melted into a smirk of satisfaction and she stepped to the side.

Instantly, Alex's own smirk fell and gave way to a gasp of realization at the reason for her shift in emotions. The cart flew across the room and sailed through the air where she had been, and he watched helplessly as it collided with Dmitri. The Stalker was unable to react quickly enough to move out of harm's way, and was left at its mercy.

The strength behind Alex's throw sent it crashing at full speed into Dmitri and it threw the Stalker from his feet. It splintered upon contact, so great was the force of the impact. When the debris settled, Alex paled as he saw Dmitri drooped against the wall at the opposite end of the room, motionless and already bruising quite badly. Beside him were the eggs of Yuuki and Tyr, unharmed. They had been spared from the brunt of the impact by the vast number of other things that had been in the cart with them, some of which had been quite soft.

At least he was alive, from what Alex could tell; the damage was shockingly bad to have come from him, but the bruising was a very good sign. Looking more closely, he could only just make out the slight disturbance of the material around Dmitri's neck by what could only be weak breathing. He was tempted to run to him to see just how bad the extent of the damage was, but he reminded himself that he now had Kiel and Alicel both focused intently on himself. He didn't want to draw either to the unconscious Stalker or to Sahari.

The young Assassin Cross, meanwhile, felt her heart drop as her eyes fell on her closest friend and took in the scene unfolding before her. They were in trouble, and she knew it; she couldn't run to see Dmitri because she was needed with their leader and the healer, which left her out of the fight entirely. Alex was, temporarily, on his own.

Sahari's shaking hands forced the stopper off of yet another white potion and she tried to calm her nerves with the reassuring fact that Alex didn't seem overly distressed about the Stalker. That must mean that Dmitri was alright, at least for now, but with such a direct impact and the weight and force of the cart that had hit him, she wasn't sure that even he would walk out of that without a concussion; if that happened, then he could fall into a comatose state and die before either of them ever had the opportunity to get to him with potions.

Before she could pour the potion down Shujiri's throat as she had with the other three so far, the man groaned low. Her smile reappeared briefly at the sound, knowing he was still with them. "Shuji-fu!" she whispered excitedly. "Drink this. You were hurt-"

Shujiri mustered the energy to shake his head at the offered potion, inviting though it was. He made a weak, vague motion towards his side and winced when the thump of his hand on Zira's side didn't elicit any form of response from the blonde. "Zee first," he instructed. "Need his abilities."

Understanding, Sahari nodded. She had given Zira a couple of bottles already, but he hadn't been as quick to respond as Shujiri. She didn't want to admit how bad that would mean the situation really was, so she went back to the High Priest and began coaxing the liquid down his throat.

Shujiri observed quietly, ignoring the pain of having his Great Dragon Wings crumpled under his weight and the feeling of fatigue that still had him tightly in its grip. He weakly stretched out his hand and pushed blonde bangs out of the man's face absently as his eyes drifted off towards the lone combatant.

Alex had done well to avoid any major damage so far, but with Kiel and Alicel both advancing on him and attacking relentlessly he was quickly losing ground. They seemed to be trying to back him up into a corner, and it seemed to be working. He didn't have much of a choice, really; he wasn't as agile as Shujiri or Dmitri so he couldn't easily jump away and guide them back to where he wanted them, and he couldn't fly like Zira, so he wasn't able to get out of their reach when he felt too boxed in. He recognized the direness of the situation and did his best to correct it, but having been reduced to his axes, he was having a difficult time getting out of or altering it.

Blue eyes fell to Dmitri and noted the cart shrapnel around him. It didn't take further analysis to figure out what had probably happened, but he was far from concerned with the fate of the objects that had been _in_ the cart that made it so dangerous; the items could be replaced and the cart could be reassembled with a nifty shortcut that all Merchants learned rather quickly. Dmitri was the main concern in the situation; he wasn't moving, and that spelled nothing good for him.

Those same deep blue eyes slowly moved back to the girl at his side and the man whose head she had propped into her lap to work with. They softened and he focused his attention onto the nearly imperceptible movement of the fair-skinned man's chest. It reassured him that his oldest and dearest friend was alive, although the degree of weakness in them both alarmed him considerably. Neither of them should have been so easy to take down - certainly not by just one attack. The robot wasn't stronger than Yuuki, that was for sure. Whatever he'd done, Shujiri was willing to bet that it had stemmed from the demon that possessed it.

Across from them, Kiel laughed gleefully. "_Lex Aeterna_!" he shouted, sending a shudder through Alex's body as the power of the spell wove into the very fiber of his muscles and sapped his defenses to a dangerously low level.

Alicel giggled beside her father. "You don't stand a chance!"

Kiel grinned maniacally at that. "You should never have come after my family!"

"For the last time," Alex growled, slamming the blade of his axe violently into Kiel's metal frame and ducking to avoid the swipe of Alicel's nails, "We didn't come here with the intention of hurting anyone! We're looking for someone, and that's it; you're the ones who attacked us for no reason. Of course we're going to try to defend ourselves!"

"Your nonsense is beginning to grate on my nerves, foolish humans!" Kiel yelled, brows drawn down and his grin wide and mad. "What would you know about the desire to protect?"

"More'n you'd think, pardner!" called a strong voice, drawing everyone's attention to it.

Recognizing the voice of his friend, Alex turned to see Jackel running into the room with the others close behind him. He smiled, relieved that their chances of making it out of this battle with all of them alive had just improved drastically.

"_Rapid Shower_!"

The sound of gunfire echoed through the huge room and Kiel halted his assault on Alex immediately, turning to the horned gunman. He had just barely moved out of the path of those bullets that would have otherwise done very serious damage to his optic wiring.

"You!" Kiel cried, eyes hardening in a way no robot's ever should be capable of. "What are you all doing here?! How did you get past my boy?! Where is my Aliot?!"

"Resting." Falcone responded, eying the scene before him. "He's safe, but he won't be attacking us again."

At this, Kiel shrieked, enraged. "What have you done with my son?!"

Now it was Lana who stepped forward. "He was being manipulated by that evil spirit, Kiel. The one attached to you. We didn't hurt him - we weren't able to make ourselves _try_ when he could be saved. You can, too, but you have to let us purify the demon that you have."

The High Priestess stopped when her eyes fell on Shujiri, Zira, and Dmitri. Gasping, she raced towards them, hoping that their arrival wasn't too late to save the three men.

Kiel's laughter surprised everyone, not only because they could find no reason for it, but because it sounded so unbalanced - borderline deranged.

"Saved? Hahaha! Saved from who?" Kiel's voice wavered slightly through the near-hysterical tone it had taken on, eyes wide. "The demons? The demons give me strength and the power to defend my children and home from the likes of you! Humans like you, who think yourselves above us - who seek to destroy us! They'll never be safe as long as people like you roam the world and invade our sanctuary!"

Alicel waited behind her father, unmoving, watching how the scene played out. Something was gnawing at her, telling her that this wasn't what she wanted - that it wasn't how things should be. Reflecting on it, the black-headed girl couldn't peg why she felt this way. These humans had invaded their home and her son was missing!

"Enough of your foolishness!" Kiel shouted, spear ready to strike. "I'll end you now and find Kel and Aliot myself!"

The battle raged as Lana worked quickly to mend the fallen trio. Although she was deeply concerned by the fact that Zira had yet to show signs of alertness, she continued relentlessly casting her spell over him in hopes of seeing any trace of improvement. She was grateful to note that Shujiri was moving around slightly, although his motions were slow and weighted and he was far from on his feet.

Jeliel had quickly made his way to their side not long after Lana, his hands clasping onto Zira's. Although his expression was unreadable, the strength of his grip spoke all it needed to of concern. Lana, Shujiri and Sahari smiled briefly at the sight before the faintest twitch of the blonde man's fingers around the gloved hands holding his sparked relief in the four around him.

Lana focused more of her energy into the spell, pushing the holy energies she'd tapped into towards her palms as they hovered over the weak Priest. When finally she felt confident that she'd restored him as much as possible for the moment, she moved to Shujiri.

"Sahari?" Lana asked, looking over at the girl as Jeliel helped Zira sit up slowly.

"Yeah?"

"I need you to give him a few more white potions while I take care of Shujiri. Then, when I'm done, do the same for him. I need to get to Dmitri as soon as possible."

Shujiri shook his head, frowning at the dizzy feeling it invoked and resorting to simply holding his hand up to gain their attention. Once he had it, he said, "I'm okay, Lana; go deal with Dmitri. I'll be fine until ye get back. When Zira's up to strength, he can do some to help out."

"But-"

"I'm movin' around, at least. I haven't seen that in Dmitri. He's breathing - weakly, but it's still there. We need to _keep_ it there."

Resigned, Lana nodded. "I understand. You're right, of course." She turned to Sahari. "You heard him; keep feeding them white potions until Zira's ready to pitch in again."

Nodding, Sahari gave a mock salute. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed, smiling.

Lana returned the smile and took off, staying as far away from the fighting as possible to keep Kiel and Alicel's attention from bein drawn to her.

"So far," Falcone noted, "Elemental attacks don't seem to be doing very much."

"Holy's doin' purdy good 'gainst that demon though!" Jackel shouted, grinning widely as he fired off round after round of ammunition imbued with holy energy.

"_Hammer Fall_!" Alex brought down his weapon hard onto the arm of Alicel as she came closer, knocking it away from him so that her attack missed. "Neutral seems to do okay, too!" he called out to the others.

A large explosion at Kiel's feet sent the robot flying back a few paces, his exterior dented and the demon attached to him howling in pain and rage from the blast.

The flash it emitted made Falcone squint, but he quickly directed his gaze to Ghebriel, who smiled and cheerfully said, "And most things generally will take damage when they go poof!"

"Then we need to keep assaulting them with neutral and holy." Jeliel concluded, rejoining the group to assist in the fighting. With Zira out of danger and now working to heal Shujiri as Lana tended to Dmitri, he was now free to make himself useful once again.

"Naturally." Falcone agreed, stepping out of the way of Kiel's spear and then parrying it off to his unoccupied side when it swept back in with the use of his staff.

"It's not polite to talk about someone as if they're not there." Alicel scolded, swiping at Alex again. This time, her attack landed perfectly on her target and Alex cried out in pain as gashes formed across his abdomen.

The 'Smith staggered back a few paces, steadying himself. The injury wasn't as painful as the one that Kiel had inflicted, but he was still sore from it and it took him a moment to will the pain down enough to move again. Once he'd recovered enough, he launched into a counter attack that sent the female robot retreating a few paces to avoid being hurt again.

"You can't teach manners to brutes, Alicel." Kiel reprimanded his daughter, giggling as his use of Brandish Spear and Magnum Break scattered the group fighting against him. "The best we can do is do away with them and put them out of our misery."

Jeliel scowled, striking at a Constant that had approached him. His staff sent it spinning across the room and into Kiel where it finally exploded, earning a grunt from the demon and a cry of pain from the robot.

Outraged, Kiel pulled a Safety Wall up to prevent further injury as he paused for a moment to recover.

Jackel cursed when his attacks were unable to do any notable harm. His sharp eyes watched for the robot to move any part of his body out of the safety of his spell, waiting for an opening. It didn't take long for one to present itself.

Kiel staggered forward a few steps, thrown off balance by a strong push from behind. He turned to see what had shoved him and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw not just Sahari, but Dmitri, as well, revealing themselves from their respective cloaking abilities.

The Stalker and Assassin Cross waved, smiling up at him from where they stood. They didn't even move as Kiel began advance quickly at them with every intention of attacking them. Instead, they stayed rooted to the spot, expressions becoming one of fear as he got closer. Then, when he was close enough that he began to strike his spear at them, the expression melted into a smile and they stepped to either side.

Kiel's eyes widened when the movement revealed Shujiri, hiding behind them.

Shujiri felt the Great Dragon Wings on his back pump power through his body and he brought his katar, the Inverse Scale, sweeping in an upper cut through the area. The blade collided with Kiel's spear and a loud clang resounded through the air, but Shujiri wasn't through there. He brought up the one in his other hand as well, locking it around the spear and twisting the spear until it bent up and away from

"_Blessing_!" Zira's voice echoed from behind Shujiri.

The blue-haired Assassin smiled as he felt his strength gain a further boost of power and he used it as well as Kiel's surprise to his advantage and gave a mighty tug, yanking the spear right out of the socket it had emerged from. He threw it off to the side now that it was harmless, letting Alex kick it a good few yards away. Dmitri stepped between Alicel and the spear when she made a move towards it, putting a barrier between the item and the female robot.

Before anyone could react further, a voice rang out behind the fighting robots and humans, stopping all movement.

"Enough! Stop!"  
**To Be Continued...**


	54. Coming to an Understanding

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note: **I know Blessing doesn't counter Dark Blessing. It should be able to, though, just because of the name of the two skills. I've already taken liberties with other skills and spells in this story so far, however, so I'm makin' it work that way. Not much to say for this note. We'll just use Naive Rave for the theme here. I hope everyone knows why...

**RoChronicles  
**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty: Coming to an Understanding  
**The sound of Aliot's voice was enough to bring the groups to look towards his direction. Kiel and Alicel were startled, but they seemed relieved that he was unharmed.

Shujiri, Zira, Sahari, Alex, and Dmitri took a defensive stance as the robotic male ran towards his father and sister. They were wary of what would happen if he decided to attack, although Alex had heard what had been said when the other half of their friends arrived to help in the fight.

Kiel embraced his son tightly, ignoring the howling of the demon clinging to him that urged him to attack. He was, for the moment, more concerned with the well-being of his son.

"Aliot! My boy - are you alright? Did those humans hurt you?"

"You have to stop this." Aliot declared, staring his father in the eyes. He glanced down to the sparking circuits at his father's arm where the spear had been puled from and winced inwardly, but he continued regardless. "This isn't you; you don't just attack people for no reason."

"They-"

"They didn't hurt me, dad. See? I'm here, and I'm fine. Alicel is fine, too, from what I can see."

"Kell-"

"He grew up, like Alicel. Like me. We already had this discussion once, back when my head was still clear. Yours wasn't, and it's still not. Listen to me, father; Alicel's son left the factory years ago." Aliot turned to look at the group and frowned. He took in their appearance and compared it to what he remembered from before he had been placed into his mechanical body, then turned back to his father. "From the looks of things, he left almost a century ago. Maybe more."

Kiel's eyes went wide at this. "A century-?"

"They didn't hurt me. They didn't even want to _fight_ me. They didn't come here to hurt anyone; I believe what they said on that much, now. You need to let them go."

"But-"

The demon howled again, hissing and then spitting into Aliot's face. "_What does the little machine know about the intentions of strangers?!_" it demanded, its large face locked towards Aliot and the other eyes aimed onto the travelers. "_You've b__een locked here just as long as Kiel; longer, even, than Alicel! What do you have to judge by to be so sure they speak the truth?! They're here to hurt you - all of you; that's all they want. That's all they ever want!_"

The demon reached out to Aliot, a black tendril snaking under his chin and lifting it slightly.

Aliot shuddered deeply at this. "I-"

"_What put you here in the first place? The dangers of the world. They're part of that world. They're part of the world that hates you - wants abominations like you dead! You didn't want to die, did you? Do you? Are you going to let-"_

"_Holy Light_!"

The demon shrieked in pain and recoiled, dragging Kiel with it.

Aliot shot a thankful gaze to Lana and Zira over his shoulder, then stepped forward to his father again. "The world didn't do this to me. I became what I am because of you."

Kiel spluttered, angry. Taking his son by the shoulders, he cried, "I did what was best for you! You're safe because of me! You'll never-"

"Not you, father." Aliot stared into the face of the demon unflinchingly. "You. It's because of _you_ that I'm like this. My father would never have done this to me without your influence!"

"_So you think_!" countered the evil entity. "_What about-_"

"It was always you. You took my father's good intentions and you turned it into something perverse and twisted. My real sister died a long, long time ago; the girl with us now is a shell holding her memories that was programmed to react to situations according to what logic says she should."

"_Then what about you, little machine_?"

"I was at least alive when you forced my father to do this to me. I'm no human - I'm not alive anymore. But I have sentience, just like him." Aliot looked to Kiel again. "Father, let these people help you. Let them help Alicel, too. This isn't how either of you are, and somewhere in there, you know it."

Kiel remained still for some time. The longer he was silent, the more fiercely the demon screamed and thrashed about.

"What's going on?" Sahari whispered, startled.

Zira glanced down at Sahari and then trained his eyes back onto the mechanical family before them. "Aliot's trying to get through to his father." he whispered in response. "Kiel's starting to listen to him, and the demon knows it."

"What are we supposed to do now?" Alex put in softly.

Shujiri shook his head. He whispered, "We wait and see if it works. If Kiel can get out from its influence enough, then we can deal with the demon ourselves without hurting him too much. If not..."

"If not?"

Zira's eyes met Shujiri's, and they shared a frown. "If not," Shujiri replied, "Then we may need to do with him what we did with-" He glanced at Zira and Lana and quickly amended what he was about to say. "-With Stormy."

Alex winced, remembering the Knight of Windstorm's downfall. The battle was still relatively fresh in his mind, having happened not more than a few weeks back. He caught onto what Shujiri had been meaning to say, though, and he understood the slight hesitation he'd detected in his words.

"_Don't be a fool_!" the demonic entity screeched, eyes rapidly darting around in every direction.

The demon giggled and Kiel's fingers tightened involuntarily on Aliot's shoulders, denting the framework of his body a bit. The snowy-haired robot glanced a the indentures and frowned, thankful for the first time in a long, long time that he wasn't able to feel physical discomfort.

Seeing the odd expression on Aliot's face, Kiel jerked his hands away, looking mildly apologetic. "I-"

"The demon is wresting full control from him again." Zira informed Shujiri. "If we're going to do something, we need to do it before it gets so wound into him again that the only way to free him will be to-"

"Aye." Shujiri agreed, stopping the blonde. "You're right; there's no telling if he can be talked down again if that happens."

The corners of Kiel's lips twitched up slightly and he shakily stepped back. "I'd do something soon instead of _sitting around like fools_ if I were _you pathetic humans._"

"No other way around it, I suppose." Falcone sighed, bringing up a ball of fire over his palm. Elemental attacks may not have done much damage to Kiel or the demon possessing him, but it was at least something; he had no holy spells to use and getting close enough to use his staff wasn't something he really wanted to risk while he was so unstable. "We'll just have to do what we can and hope it's enough."

"To be on the safe side, you should probably go somewhere else." Ghebriel informed Aliot and Alicel, his already airy tone becoming a little softer to try to soothe their worries about their..'father.' "Another part of the factory, or into the main house, maybe. Anywhere but here, where you're more vulnerable to the entity's influence."

Aliot gave a simple nod and, taking the girl's wrist in his hand, dutifully darted off, his sister in tow.

Once Aliot and Alicel had left, the demon seized its chance. With Kiel's children out of the area, it would be easier to tighten its hold on the circuitry of this mechanical puppet it had chosen to become its host.

Kiel rushed up to Sahari, believing her to be the weakest among the potential targets that were closest to him. "_Magnum Break_!"

Sahari's dark eyes widened. Although she, like Shujiri, was a trained professional in her chosen occupation, she wasn't as old as him. She didn't have the extra years of experience he did and she wasn't as quick on her feet as he was when it came to thinking up solutions. What she did have, however, was the speed Dmitri had helped to train into her from the very beginning of their friendship.

Ducking under the blow, she allowed the dangerous blade of Zira's scythe to counter the attack and easily maneuvered around to the side of Kiel, knocking him off balance slightly and to the side so Shujiri, Alex, and the others would have a better opening to the demon. As she moved away again she silently hoped that she'd hit him just hard enough to turn the robot, himself, out of the way of most of the harm that would otherwise be done to him by whatever they were about to do.

Dmitri took advantage of the momentary drop in Kiel and the demon's guard caused by his surprise and grabbed onto the robot, calling up his Close Confine skill to hold hm immobile. He latched onto him tightly, keeping himself well away from the side of the mechanical man that the eyes were on (what could he say? They were creepy!)

Alex took a moment to really inspect the build of the robot while Jackel let into the demonic mass with his bullets, Shujiri slashed at it with his katar, and Lady Lana and Zira pummeled it with rapid successions of Holy Light. The mechanics behind it seemed years ahead of anything their respective towns were capable of yet, not to mention what could have been done a century ago!

He took in every detail of the structure, from the thickness of the metal that made up his body to the tiny traces of wiring that had begun to peek through sections of that metallic frame caused by the earlier fighting.

The 'Smith was impressed, to say the least. He had never seen anything as advanced as the robot in front of him, and he knew that if the circumstances were different, the two intellectuals in their group would have loved the chance to study Kiel and question him about anything they could think of.

Alex's eyes wandered across the demon, taking in the strange and intimidating sight of the terrible creature as it raged at being unable to make its host move. The mass of eyes stared at him, but the giant face off to the other side snarled and snapped its massive jaws in a desperate, vain attempt to hurt anything it could get close enough to.

When the muscular man's eyes fell on a tiny box that was almost invisible for how well it blended into the rest of Kiel's structure, his eyes grew wide. Immediately, he knew what it was - had seen control panels often enough to recognize one when it was shown to him. He'd never seen them so small, but he attributed that to the amount of effort Kiel Hyre had put into the creation of this artificial body.

Inwardly, he wondered how the man had managed to keep such things secret enough that his continued existence was, to the rest of the world, now considered no more than a legend passed down from older generations.

"Shujiri!" Alex shouted, pointing behind the robot. "The little protrusion on his hip; do you see it?"

Shujiri paused his assault, turning his eyes down. After a quick glance around, he spotted it. "Aye," he called back, "What is it?"

"The control box! It's a lot smaller than anything like it I've seen before, but that has to be what it is. See if you an get it open and then I'll see what I can do about disconnecting the power on him until we can take care of the demon. Then we can reactivate him!'

Hearing this, the demon's howls grew louder and its growling became fiercer. "_**No**! Foolish humans, don't touch it! Stay away! I'll tear you all to shreds! I'll devour your souls whole and drag you down to the pits of the darkness with me!_"

The screaming only served to make Shujiri smile. The expression dawned slowly, stretching inch by inch across his face until he smirked slyly at the demon, moving in closer. "That sounds like a 'come hither' if I've ever heard one."

Falcone nodded. "It certainly seems like that thing doesn't want you to get close to it. That must be something good in our favour."

Dmitri tightened his grip on Kiel, feeling his hold loosening. The skill wouldn't stay in place for much longer, but he needed to be able to keep him in place long enough for Shujiri to get that thing open!

"You might want to think about doing something soon instead of just gabbing it up, Shuj!" the horned bowman warned. "I can't hold him for much longer and when he's released, we'll definitely want to be out of his way!"

"Gotcha." Shujiri confirmed, moving in faster.

_No time to waste, then, I guess._ the Assassin Cross thought, his katar up and ready to do its job. _I hope nothing important gets destroyed by this, or we may not be able to start Kiel back up at all._

In one swift blow the man's katar sliced into the metal casing and snapped off the cover as easily as if he were cutting butter. He grinned triumphantly when Kiel failed to cease screaming curses and profanities at them, mouthing out the words of the demon's choosing. If he was still running, then he hadn't damaged anything, er, 'vital.'

"All set!" Shujiri called to Alex. "Go ahead!"

Before Alex could run up, Lana's voice stopped him. "Wait!"

The others turned their faces to her, confused.

"No time, Lana!" Dmitri reminded her. The length of time he could maintain the skill for had improved through their journey so far, but he wasn't invincible and he was still human. He was starting to lose hold of Kiel much faster now. "It's now or never!"

"No, Dmitri, she's right." Zira calmly soothed, moving forward as well. "Look at the wiring!"

Dmitri and the others glanced down to where Zira pointed and Ghebriel gasped. "Is that-"

"It's concentrated evil, in a way." Lana replied. "It seems that the circuits are what the demon has possessed, and that's why it's so difficult to get Kiel and the demon separated for long - that's why we weren't able to do it, but Aliot was. We don't mean anything to him, but his son is important enough to him that he knocked the demon loose a bit by bringing up those memories."

"Well, what do we do now?" Jeliel demanded, frustrated. He didn't like being next to useless in situations like this - it seemed to be happening much too often recently.

"You back away!" Dmitri yelled. "I'm gonna lose my grip in a few seconds!"

Taking the long-haired Stalker's warning, everyone ran back several paces. When Dmitri's arms slipped and Kiel broke free, it was only his own agility that saved him from being ripped open by one very angry, possessed robot.

"_Pitiful, stupid humans_!" the demon crowed, trying to sound confident. The tone only came across as anxious. "_If you fall to your knees and beg me, I might consider letting you escape with your lives_!"

"Sorry, pardner," Jackel chuckled, "But we ain't goin' nowhere yet. 'N we sure 's Helheim ain't scared'a you no more."

The demon hissed.

"_Holy Light_!"

This time, the demon screamed in agony, spinning Kiel around to face the scythe-wielding man. "_Impudent imbecile_!" he snarled. "_You'll pay for that_!"

"You saw how well that worked!" Shujiri shouted, jumping in front of Zira just in time to knock the attack aimed at his winged best friend off course. "Focus your holy spells on that little box, Lana! Everyone else, just keep him away from her and Zira; if they can get in enough attacks, we might be able to purify the demon without hurting Kiel any further!"

It only took seven more rounds of Holly Light before the demon was screaming more in agony than anger, and it began a retreat. Each time it turned, however, someone seemed to be blocking its path. Outraged, the demon threw Kiel's Dark Blessing towards Shujiri, only to have it be surprisingly countered by Zira's cry of "_Blessing_!"

Shujiri shot him a thankful smile. "Didn't know that'd work!"

Zira smiled in return, though sheepishly. "Yes, well, neither did I; I was just hoping it would!"

Finally, Zira and Lana had the demon in its last throes. Angry, badly injured, and dying, it cackled.

Although they hadn't expected such a reaction, the two healers continued the assault. The others exchanged a look, but became more wary when the demonic entity spoke, its voice breaking occasionally as it wheezed and gurgled.

"_You think you've accomplished s- some great task in my defeat? Y- you've only met..the pawns of the great..Legion..before you! Satan Morroc will rise..and he will devour this..world and..all the pathetic souls on it! Darkness will prevail, and you..foolish mortals..will be no more the heroes than..you..were the last time! How does it feel..to have blood on your hands? So much blood you could drown three worlds - could drown..y- yourselves? Be proud of your accomplishments, little heroes..for in your lives..you've a- aided the greater Dark Purpose these..many times_!"

"_Holy Light_!" Zira and Lana shouted together, their voices chorusing loudly above the dwindling strength of the demon's voice.

The demon laughed again, flickering for a moment. "_Blood..is thicker than water..isn't it_?" it asked softly, its many eyes focusing on a singular point that was difficult to ascertain. "_Thicker than most things..a- and so easy..to..dilute.." _Another flicker._ "you win, for now, mortals. But there are more..more of me..of us. Your world..is changing..and you, all of you..are..a dying race. You will die. Perhaps not today..but..you will. We are many and..you..are lost.._"

A final outcry of their most well-known spell and the High Priest and High Priestess were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as the demon flickered a final time and then vanished entirely.

Zira and Lana shuddered as they thought back on the demon's parting messages, slightly confused but deeply disturbed by how dark and threatening it was. The cruel promise behind its words rang out to every last person in the group, each recalling separate events that its words had spoken of to their individual situations.

Shujiri was the first to beak the silence that had fallen over them. "Good call on the circuits, Alex."

Alex nodded, mute.

With control of himself returning, Kiel felt the heavy darkness that had been filling him for so long finally lifting as the essence of the demon dissipated. Every trace of the evil energy was leaving his operating system and he felt better than he had in many, many years. Slowly, the memories of the past century and a half filed into place and settled alongside those he'd made before the demon overtook him. As he processed each one, overwhelming despair rose up. Although he didn't have a beating heart, something felt like it was breaking.

Shujiri noticed the drastic change of the mechanical man's expressions and demeanor. It didn't take much to figure out what Kiel had realized.

"Ye can't blame yourself for what happened to Alicel or Aliot." he reassured the sentient machine. "You weren't yourself; you haven't been for a long time, now. Aliot knows that."

"My own son.." Kiel turned his eyes to Shujiri, feeling oddly as if he should cry, but knowing he would be unable to. "My own family - my flesh and blood, all of them! I _am_ the monster Aliot professed me to be so long ago!"

"It can't be helped, Mr. Hyre." Zira said softly, moving forward. He pressed his palm gently against the distraught man's metallic cheek, hoping he could soothe him somewhat but unsure how to do it. He wasn't even entirely sure, really, that Kiel actually felt the despair he was sensing or if what he was picking up on was simply the _memory_ of feeling despair Kiel held. "He knows what happened, now. He doesn't seem to be too upset over it anymore. You weren't yourself, and it can't be held against you because of that."

Kiel turned to the blue-eyed healer at this. "You know?"

"There was a legend that one of our friends told us about, yes." Zira confirmed with a slight nod. "We weren't certain if it was true or not at first, but now that we know it was, we know that what happened wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. It's a shame that it happened, but no one can change the events of history. You should just focus on what's ahead of you."

The distressed grimace faded until it was no more than a small frown, and Kiel nodded. "You are right, of course." he sighed, looking down at his body to survey the damage. "I will spend an eternity trying to earn back the trust of my family._" _Pausing, he glanced up to Shujiri with a tight smile. "And I'm impressed that you all managed to coordinate your attacks so carefully."

"You did sustain a good bit of damage," Falcone informed him, "But it should all be superficial, for the most part. It's nothing that couldn't easily be repaired with a bit of work. I'm just sorry that I can't offer my assistance in that field."

Shujiri, seeing the effort the bespectacled man was putting into restraining the questions gnawing at him, chuckled. "Aye, we're no help to ye there." he agreed, shooting Kiel an apologetic look.

"Not to worry." reassured the mechanical man. "Your friend is right; it's nothing that would take too long to fix. We have the materials and factory for such things right here, after all."

At last, Falcone seemed to be able to hold his questions back no longer. "Might I ask you how it is that you could use such a skill as Magnum Break with a spear, and continue using it when you were disarmed?"

"Quite literally, you mean?" Kiel chuckled. "I'm still myself, but I'm a machine as well. I file away certain things I see as bits of memory, and when I see fit, I can call them up and use the information stored to produce the same result as what the memory byte contains."

Shujiri and Zira exchanged a hopeful look.

_If he used Magnum Break, then maybe the person he saw using it was-_

"But what is it that brought you here, now, I wonder?"

"It's as I said earlier." Alex piped up finally. "We were looking for someone, and we'd heard they were on their way here."

"What ever would bring them _here_?"

"They're looking for answers. Just like us." Shujiri explained briefly, frowning. "Satan Morroc _is_ coming back, just like the demon said. He's come back a few times already, but on different worlds, and he's destroyed every last one of them. We're trying to stop him, but we need to know what it is the people we're looking for know about the situation before we can continue."

"Well, then! Who are you looking for?"

"A Lord Knight who goes by Xabel Vanhaerents, for one. He's accompanying a second person - a Clown named Chrnos. We were told he has visions of past events from other worlds, and we need to know what he's seen about Satan Morroc and the other monsters in Rune-Midgard."

"You're in luck, then!" Kiel laughed, smiling. "As a matter of fact, a Lord Knight with a Clown partner is exactly who that Magnum Break memory byte came from. They never did tell me their names, but the Clown seemed to be in a trance when I first saw them." Kiel's face fell slightly but he continued, a bit hesitant. "I'm..afraid I attacked them, too."

"Are they alright?" asked Lana.

"They're alive. I think, at least; the Clown was badly injured, though. His friend somehow managed to vault over me and no matter how hard we looked, we never found them. I can only assume they made it out and started for the place the Lord Knight referred to."

"Did you hear anything about where they went?"

Pausing, Kiel closed his eyes as he pulled up the memory in question. His optic processors scanned it over and, once he found the sound byte he required, he opened his eyes again. Smiling weakly, he projected the memory for them.

_"_Arrow Vulcan_!" cried the Clown, his pale blonde bangs shoved messily to one side of his face and falling loosely over his eye sly. With as much skill and practice as he could muster into his attack, he plucked the string of his instrument and sent the arrow flying towards Kiel._

_The robot easily stepped aside from the attack and let it pass him harmlessly. Chrnos's arrow embedded itself in the wall as Kiel struck at Xabel who had blocked him from using his own Brandish Spear attack against his musically gifted charge._

_"_Magnum Break_!" Xabel shouted, slamming his sword down at Kiel. The attack landed perfectly and Kiel, his metallic frame badly dented from the force of the blow, was forced to stagger back to recover. Xabel took the time this gave them and pulled the blue-eyed musician across the floor of the factory to put more distance between themselves and their attacker._

_"Be careful." warned the mint-haired swordsman, eyes full of concern as he gazed down at the smaller man at his side. His voice was gentle although his tone was serious, and as quickly as the flicker of worry in his eyes had appeared, it disappeared much faster when he shifted his gaze to Kiel. "That robot is possessed. I don't have the connection with the gods a Priest or the Paladin king might, but I can still feel the pressure of that thing. It doesn't have any intention of letting us leave here alive."_

_"How good of you to notice!" Kiel chirped. The mass at his side giggled darkly. "You've invaded my home and endangered my family. You'll have to pay for that."_

_The two separated quickly enough to avoid the sudden clash of the robot's spear into either of their skulls, but the weight of the green-eyed Knight's armour slowed him just enough for it to still catch him in the shoulder as it continued its downward motion._

_"AGH!" Leaping away, Xabel screamed out at the pain the impalement had caused and then again at the pain removing the weapon so hurriedly in such a careless manner brought forth._

_"Xabel!" Chrnos screamed, eyes wide. He plucked a card from his vest pocket, praying it would be of some use to deter the robot until his protector was able to mend most of the damage he'd just received with his knowledge of First Aid and the minor healing spells his weapon whispered to him. "_Tarot Card of-_"_

_Before Chrnos could use his card, it was knocked from his hand. It fluttered to the ground, unactivated and useless. The pale blue and black-clad Clown spun to see what had stopped him and came mere inches from being skewered by nails as sharp as scissors - and equally as intimidating as they were long. It was only the movement itself that spared him, for the nails (claws seemed like a more accurate description, in his opinion) had cleanly snipped a few strands of hair from the bangs that swished over his left eye._

_"My son! What have you done with my little Kel?!" screamed Alicel, eyes wide and angry although her lips quirked in a dangerously mad smile. Her long hair flew behind her as she ran at him, aiming to attack again._

_Chrnos ducked under her and allowed her to trip over his form, giving him enough time to turn and check on his companion. "Xabel, are you alright?!"_

_"I should be asking you that!" Xabel reprimanded the slender man gently, gripping his shoulder as he dodged to the right to avoid Kiel's spear again. "I'm fine, though."_

_Kiel and Alicel struck at their respective targets again as if synched perfectly on some unheard, invisible cue. Neither landed the hit, but the sureness of their attacks and the speed with which they executed them served to further unnerve the pair of travelers._

_Their jumping around and swerving continued for a few minutes. Occasionally one of them would throw in an attack in return, but never did they do much damage to the sturdy forms of the mechanical people they fought. Both men knew they were quickly running out of energy, and they knew that was bad news; robots, for as far as they knew, didn't need to rest. They could probably run low on power, but they seemed to be perfectly fine from what they could tell. If they _were_ going to run out of power, it wouldn't be any time in the foreseeable future._

_Xabel parried Alicel's sharp nails again and jerked to one side, letting her other hand pass him harmlessly._

_"Brother!" Alicel shrieked, making Xabel flinch at the harsh sound on his sensitive, pointed elven ears. "The intruders are still here! Where are you?! Did they harm you too?!"_

_A loud, sharp scream behind the pair of fighters caught Xabel's attention. His heart sank when he realized that they'd been tricked; somewhere during the fight, their opponents had changed. He'd ended up against Alicel, while Chrnos had been placed fighting Kiel._

_"_Pang- _G'haaaAAAHH_!"

_Xabel quickly spun to see what had happened and his blood ran cold. Kiel's spear had pierced the Clown's chest and gone cleanly through him, and Aliot, who must have only arrived recently while they were both preoccupied with the father-daughter team, had jammed as many extensions from his back through various other portions of the unfortunate poet's body - chest, arm, hip, thigh.._

_"CHRNOS!"_

_He didn't even need to see the attack Alicel aimed at him; he threw his shield up and let the force she had been putting into it collide with it and throw her off balance. She landed with a loud clanging thud on the floor, stunned, but he paid her no mind. Every step he took as he ran towards the two robots and his friend seemed to go in slow motion._

_Almost as if they were of one mind, Kiel and Aliot withdrew their respective weapons and stepped back and to the side._

_"Ah.."_

_The pitiful groan of pain the Clown gave out made both mechanical men smile. They warily jumped away from Xabel when he roared in anger, striking at them with his sword and shield to drive them away from the man who, weak from injury and exhausted from the fight and their long journey, had finally collapsed into a bloody, motionless pile._

_When they tried to move closer again, he repeated the action and they stayed back, watching him for any sign of further aggression. This was a side they hadn't seen to the man since the start of their confrontation, and they weren't willing to risk their own safety or one another's by approaching again until they knew what he would do next, demon or no._

_Xabel dropped to his knees once he was certain the robots weren't going to get close to them again, although he kept his guard up and still allowed his eyes to dart up at them to be sure they hadn't moved._

_Carefully, the Lord Knight lifted the injured man's torso to examine how extensive the injuries were. A part of him was fully aware that he would wish he hadn't looked when he was through, but most of him didn't care. He needed to see how bad it was so that he could decide how best to approach the care of his injuries._

_The steel-eyed man felt his heart sink further when he realized that the man was losing so much blood that even his glove felt sticky. Xabel glanced down at it and forced the rising bile back down when he saw how much darker it had become after being saturated with Chrnos's blood._

_Head bent, he listened carefully for any sign of breathing. He was only mildly relieved when he felt the smallest tickle of air against his ear. It was far too weak, and he hesitantly checked the man's pulse to be sure that what he'd felt hadn't been a phantom breeze._

_Once the pulse registered in his mind, he felt an immense anger swell in his chest. Although he'd always been more of a gentle pacifist than a bloodthirsty fighter, the extent of damage done to his friend made his blood boil. It took every last ounce of his will power not to rush the three possessed beings and fight for vengeance. His rational mind scowled at him for the mere thought and he allowed it to overcome the sudden bloom of darker, heavier emotions in his chest. Chrnos needed him more than they needed to be destroyed._

_Xabel knew that the meager knowledge of Heal granted to him by his weapon would never suffice to help him in this state; Chrnos was knocking on death's door, and he couldn't bring him back if death felt inclined to answer. With this in mind, he gripped the worst of the injuries tightly to try to stem some of the blood flow. He cast a few rounds of Heal over him to strengthen him until he could be taken to a professional healer. Lifting the smaller man into his arms effortlessly, fear gripped his insides when he felt absolutely no resistance in Chrnos's form. He was completely dead weight, excuse the morbid pun._

_Now that he was sure of what he needed to do, Xabel wouldn't let their current enemies stand in his way. He needed to get Chrnos to someone who could save him, and he needed to do it quickly._

_The Lord Knight whistled a single, long note and a ridiculous squawking sound answered._

_Kiel, Alicel and Aliot jumped away as a Peco-Peco charged through. The flightless bird skidded to a stop clumsily at Xabel's side and the Knight gently positioned Chrnos atop the saddle, climbing in for himself when the other man was secure. He would have to scrub at the blood stains to remove them later, if they ever came out at all, but that was the absolute least of his worries at the moment._

_As he began the charge towards the robots again, the mechanical men and woman positioned themselves to block his exit. He cracked the reins once, twice, a third time - Xabel's mount jumped high into the air and sailed towards them._

_Kiel raised his spear to strike at the bird and its master and his charge, but that was what Xabel had been counting on. He quickly drew his sword from his side and slammed it into the spear, using the surprising amount of force to propel them clear over the heads of the three below them. When the bird landed, it ran for the exit.  
_

_"Hang in there, Chrnos; don't leave me yet! I'll get you to Izlude in a jiffy; I know someone there who can heal you to perfection. I'm afraid you won't make it if I take you anywhere else. The distance is a problem, but I'll keep you stable until we can get there. I promise it on my life!"_

The clip ended and everyone remained silent for a time.

At last, Pharin spoke. "So we need to go _back_ to Izlude."

Shujiri nodded.

"And we need to hope that Clown's still alive." Sahari added, pale from what she'd seen. Those injuries Chrnos had gained could have happened to any of them, and it was only now that she realized how lucky they'd been.

Again, Shujiri nodded.

Zira sighed. "They really shouldn't have come to such a dangerous place without a healer of some sort. It's just not safe."

Jeliel snorted. "Sometimes it's not safe even if you _do_ bring a healer. What if they're afraid of dead things?"

Zira glared at the High Wizard. "Shove off."

Chuckling, Shujiri clapped a hand onto Zira's shoulder, trying to push soothing feelings through the connection to ease the blonde's sudden temperamental flare up. "You're right, though, Zira. We just have to hope that Xabel got him to Izlude, or at least some kind of professional healer, in time." There was a pause of silence. "We should get going back to Izlude. There's no telling how far ahead of us they are with that kind of emergency. Combined with how long the fight took, they could be there already for all we know."

"That's some fast traveling." Pharin said, sarcasm dripping from his voice like poison from an Assassin's dagger.

"Don't forget about warping, Pharin." Ghebriel reminded.

"Aye," Shujiri said, "And with only two people to warp, the chances of them getting split up are less than if they were in a large group like ours. It might take a long time to find everyone again if we tried to do it, but for them..." He trailed off and sighed. "Either way, we need to go. We can't afford to let them get so far ahead of us that we lose their trail entirely. We've been chasing them too long for that."

"Agreed." Zira responded.

"Have a safe trip." Kiel put in. "I wish I could send you off with something for your help here, but I don't have anything to offer you." The robot's eyes scanned the area around them, but he came up empty-handed.

"We're just glad we could purify that demon for you." Lana soothed with a warm smile. "Hopefully you won't be bothered again, but we can't make any promises. The best that we can do is give you a few Blessings to try to ward other demons away from you and your family."

"While I do appreciate your consideration, miss, I'll have to decline."

"But-"

"I've taken enough of your time here because of that demon. The things the demon said, and what you explained to me - it all sounds like you have a larger destiny than you could fulfill here. You need to go as quickly as you can to find those two. But remember to travel safely, and don't get separated unless the situation absolutely calls for it. If the demon's thoughts were anything to go by, your travels will only get harder and more dangerous."

Shujiri nodded his understanding. "I understand," he said, "But your family-"

"I love Aliot and Alicel, but something tells me that if you stay here much longer you'll be too late getting to your friends. If that's the case, whatever you do for us will be useless in the face of what's to come. Now, go on."

"Thank you. It must take a lot to make that decision."

"The needs of the world outweigh our personal desires, sometimes. This is not the era to be selfish in."

With a last nod, and a parting salute, Shujiri turned to the exit. "Come on; we've been here long enough. We need to get to Izlude."

The others said their quick farewells to Kiel and then, one by one, they filed out after the blue-haired Assassin Cross through the factory, made quick work of the many stairs, and left the property of Kiel Hyre.  
**To Be Continued...**


	55. Kiel's Very Own OMAKE

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note: **A bastard or not, Kiel has always been one of my favourites among the MvP category. (Coincidentally, or perhaps not, Aliot is also one of my favourite non-MvP monsters.) That said, Kiel deserves his very own omake, just because. He even gets a chipper suggested listening bgm: (don'tyoudarelaugh) "Streamside." I believe it plays in the Prontera fields. I loved the feeling it gives me of waking up in the morning to the sun shining on a peaceful, lazy day. You just don't _know_ how many kinds of grateful I am to Gumi for his help in figuring out the mechanics of a robot's life. I hate that I couldn't keep the program names intact like you'd see on a real computer, but thanks to fanfic-dot-net, please imagine that they are and try not to let the fact that they aren't ruin the scene for you.

**RoChronicles  
**

* * *

**Kiel's Very Own OMAKE  
**Morning came early for the basement-dwelling residents of the robot factory. Birds chirped happily outside, a gentle, slow breeze was blowing, and sunlight flooded into the room and spilled across the floor through the window to spread across the bed that sat against the opposite wall and bathed its occupant in a silky golden light.

Kiel Hyre sat up and stretched his arms over his head. He paused when he noticed the stiff movement in his sockets. Frowning, he lowered his arms back to his sides and rested them in his lap to take a look at them.

A careful inspection revealed no obvious flaws in design (and, over a century and a half after the mechanical body had been built for him, he would have noticed a flaw much sooner, he'd hope.) Briefly halting the optics program, he receded into the central processing unit and scanned the other programs and checked to be sure all necessary connections were still firmly in place. A few minor things of note came to his attention so he marked those with a yellow flag and continued his systems check.

One by one, warnings slowly began to pop up. Alarmed, he flagged them with red and began to slowly check for which could be solved with simple, internal repairs, and which would need to be taken care of externally - with the use of his factory.

_Cooling system dangerously low._

"Send more power to the cooling system; divert flow from networking processes and reduce the importance of non-vital programs."

_Navigation will be temporarily offline. Continue?_

"Yes."

_Fragmented hard-drive._

"Schedule defragmentation."

_ mobility. exe is experiencing difficulty. Four files are corrupt. Two programs are not responding._

"Which ones are corrupt?"

_mobility /armr. exe. mobility /arml. exe. mobility /legl. exe-_

"Hm.."

Ignoring the stiffness of his arms, Kiel moved his legs off of the edge of the bed and pressed his feet to the floor. Pushing up, he stepped forward-

And collapsed onto the floor with a loud, resounding thump, face first. His arms braced him from slamming his face onto the floor completely, but his legs squeaked and protested the movement when he tried to get up.

-_mobility__ /legr. exe.  
_

"Smarty circuits." Kiel murmured to himself, frowning. "Repair corrupt files."

_Processing.. Repairs complete. Two programs are not responding._

"Dare I ask which ones?"

_ logic. exe. explorer. exe.  
_

"That explains a lot.."

_End process?_

"No!"

_Wait for program to respond?_

"Obviously."

_End process?_

"I said: no."

_Wait for program to respond?_

Kiel took a deep breath, pointless though it was, and then replied, "Yes."

After a bit of waiting, Kiel began to grow impatient. Finally, the flat, mechanical voice in his head intoned. _One program is not responding._

Silence.

"Which program is unresponsive?"

_ logic. exe.  
_

Kiel frowned. "Run task manager."

_ taskmgr. exe.  
_

For a few moments, Kiel ran down the list of processes and programs that were actively running and shut off the ones he considered temporarily useless. He set a few others to lower priority and, shutting the window to the task control, glanced down at his body once more.

Although he had quickly repaired his arm last night, there were still dents and dings in other places and he still had more severe damage elsewhere, although they didn't seem to be affecting him much. For the most part, it _was_ almost purely aesthetic. For that reason, he had opted to put off the list of repairs he knew he would need until the next day and, as soon as he'd finished the repairs Alicel and Aliot required, had gone to his room to activate sleep mode.

"Is logic. exe working yet?"

_ logic. exe is not responding._

"Darn it-"

_Remaining battery power is low. 15 percent left._

"Time?"

_25 minutes._

Kiel jumped, alarmed. "25 minutes?! I need to get to the factory then!"

The robot pushed himself to his feet and staggered a few paces. Once his balance was restored, he darted towards the door.

He knew that the battery he had equipped to him now should have had more power left than this - had lasted him almost two months on average. Suddenly, after the fighting yesterday, it was drained to dangerously low levels. He needed to charge it quickly, and failing that, he would have to have Aliot and Alicel replace it entirely with a new one.

Time passed as Kiel walked (albeit at a fast pace) around the factory in search of the power station. The fact that he was having no luck troubled him a bit; he had installed it himself, so he should be able to recall where it was. The factory wasn't _that_ big, was it?

"How much time is left?"

_Remaining battery power is at a critical level. 7 percent left._

"Time?" Kiel demanded again.

_6 minutes._

Startled, Kiel missed the first step that headed down to the cooling station and just barely stopped himself from falling on his face a second time. "6 minutes? I've been walking around this place for nineteen minutes?!"

Silence.

"Hello?"

Still, the flat voice in his head was quiet. Finally, it spoke again. _Cooling system dangerously low._

"I thought I'd fixed that earlier, but that's convenient enough, given where I am now. How low is it?"

_17 percent. Refill coolant solution soon._

"I don't have time for this now!"

Again, the voice fell silent. Kiel found himself worried that the sudden lapse of time between the mechanical answers and his questions meant that vital systems were beginning to shut down to conserve power. At a loss, Kiel silently hoped he would receive an answer to his commentary or question.

"Didn't I say to divert power from networking processes to the cooling system to give it a boost?"

_Power flow to networking process is 3 percent. Flow from networking process to cooling system is 97 percent._

"Odin! Is that why I can't find my way around this place?"

_Navigation is temporarily offline. Would you like to enable navigation?_

"Yes!"

_Power flow from networking process to cooling system will reduce to zero percent. Do you want to continue?_

Kiel hesitated at this. After a few moments of weighing the pros and cons as he continued walking, hoping to find the power station before he would need to return to solve the cooling issue, he finally answered. "How quickly will I overheat if that happens?"

_Question does not compute._

"What I mean is, how long before the system overheats if that happens?

_Two minutes._

"And how long before the battery runs out of power?"

_Four minutes._

"Four minutes?!"

It was time to take extreme measures.

"Tap into the intercom system."

_Connecting.. Enter password._

"11-5-12-12-1-19-21-19."

_Connected. Your following words will be relayed on the intercom system._

Kiel paused, gathered his bytes about himself, and began. His voice echoed from the speakers above him.

"_Alicel! Aliot! Come to the cooling sector of the factory level immediately; it's an emergency!_"

After a few moments, Kiel heard a small click. He understood it to mean that the system had disconnected from him. Without having told it to do so, he took this as a very bad sign of the state his power source was in. Or was it the cooling system by now? "Probably both." he admitted softly, glancing around for a sign of his children.

Before long, Aliot was running up to him, Alicel in tow. "What's wrong?" asked the smaller robot. He wasn't used to hearing his father call them down for emergencies, only ever having heard him panic when it related to one of them. With both of them safe, he worried what the urgent tone of his father's synthetic voice could mean.

"Alicel, take me to a charging station as quickly as possible. Aliot, go back a few meters to the cooling solution sector and get some, mix it with a bit of water, and bring it to me. Be careful, though; if you fall in, I don't want to think about what could happen."

Alicel's eyes flew open at this. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine, princess; just do as I asked. It seems the fighting yesterday has played havoc with more than just the frame work and aesthetics. Just do this, both of you, and I'll be fine."

Nodding, the two set about their work. Aliot raced back with the solution just as Alicel sat their father down at one of the desks. "Here you go." the boy said, holding out the jug of liquid.

"Thank you."

"The plugs are ready and the system is powering up, father!" Alicel happily sang, grinning.

_Find a power source soon. Battery life remaining: 4 percent. 2 minutes. Powering down to conserve battery life._

"No, don't power down yet! I didn't program..you to do whatever you want, you stupid body; I..programmed you to listen..to..my..commands...I-" Kiel paused, ignoring the snickering of his son and the frightened screech of his daughter. He knew he wasn't really in danger now that the system was up and connected to him, but with his energy so low, he couldn't form the words necessary to soothe the girl's concern.

As the optic system disabled and the rest of his programs temporarily entered hibernation mode, he was able to utter one last thing before sleep mode overtook him.

"Damn..it..aaallllll..."  
**To Be Continued...**


	56. This Place Looks Familiar

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note: **I was told recently that I was given the wrong directions from Amatsu to Yuno when I asked one of my friends for them, since I suck at maps. I'm trying really hard to stay accurate, given the circumstances, so I seriously hope nobody is reading this with a map of Rune-Midgard in front of them going "OHMAIGAHD THAT ISN'T RIGHT N00B" and that, if they are, it doesn't spoil the story for them. I try to choose sensible routes, considering their time frame, but sometimes it's not possible if I want to continue character development and plot progress as necessary. In those instances, please pretend not to notice anything suspicious. Please? ALSO. WE'RE GOING TO PRETEND JUNO/YUNO IS ONLY LIKE 100 FEET IN THE AIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. As for the theme, we'll go with "Everlasting Wonders," which comes from Izlude. There's not much to this chapter, but I needed a break from the fighting again.

**RoChronicles  
**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-One: This Place Looks Familiar  
**The journey back to Izlude was an agonizingly long one. It had been spent fretting over the well-being of the Clown, arguing amongst themselves over different things (although the majority of the fighting had been done by Pharin and anyone else who was willing to participate, with occasional input from Shujiri or Ghebriel,) and wishing they had time to stop and rest. Although they had caught a ship for the last leg of the journey, they were still drained from the ordeal at the factory; there was just something about beds that weren't meant to tilt doing just that in rough seas that didn't sit well with them.

It could also be, they had individually reasoned, because of their previous experience in the waters near Izlude that made them uneasy and incapable of resting. Even Shujiri was a bit wary.

Finally, they stood together on the solid ground of Izlude. Staring back at them was the same guide that had brought help to rescue them after _The Black Dragon_ had gone down.

"I'm very sorry, but I haven't seen anyone like that." replied the boy, a sheepish smile plastered onto his lips. "I just came back today, myself; I've been gone for a few days to tend to a family emergency."

"Family emergency?" Jeliel muttered, frowning. "I didn't know these guys had family."

Zira, still smiling, prayed the boy hadn't heard the High Wizard. He elbowed the man in the side to silence him.

Jeliel grunted, glaring for a moment at the blonde. "Well? I always see the same guy standing somewhere in town wherever I go. I just kind of figured.."

"What? That they were all the same person? That's a little impossible, isn't it?" Zira hissed quietly. "One man can't be in dozens of places at the same time."

"No, so I guess it makes sense he'd have family. Maybe he has a hundred identical brothers."

"Jeliel..."

"That would explain why they all look the- OOF!"

Glancing to the magician who had doubled over, the guide frowned. Confused, he turned back to Shujiri. "Is he okay?" he asked, pointing at Jeliel with his thumb.

"Aye. Just a bad case of derpes." the Assassin Cross replied easily.

"Of-?"

"Stupidity." Sahari supplied helpfully, shaking her head. "Incurable. It's terrible. He'll be like that forever."

"O..kay?" Shaking his head, the guide cleared his throat. "Anyway, I just got back. If they've been here, it was while I was away. Maybe someone else in town saw them. For all I know, they could still be here somewhere."

"Aye. Thanks for your help." Shujiri said with a grin. "Hope the emergency is sorted out now."

Smiling in return, the short-haired youth nodded. "It is. Thank you very much." As the group began to walk off, he called to them, "I hope you find who you're looking for!"

Once they were out of ear shot, Jackel sighed. "That wa'n' partic'larly helpful."

"No, it wasn't." Falcone agreed. "We just need to keep searching. Surely someone's seen them. Xabel sounded very adamant that he knew someone here, perhaps personally, who could help Chrnos. Maybe we'll find that person if we keep looking."

"Then we'll want to start with the healers." Alex suggested. "That's the first place he'd have taken him."

"Unless," Shujiri countered, "The person he knew doesn't work there. There are freelancers, like Zira and Lady Lana, here. But, you're right; that's the best place to start."

As soon as the first half of the group entered the building, Shujiri and Jackel were swarmed by the women who had tended to their injuries after the shipwreck.

Zira chuckled at the look of discomfort Shujiri sported as some of them prodded him and others clung to him; Shujiri didn't mind attention - he loved it, in fact - but he wasn't exactly used to having so many strangers focus on him at once. Jackel, however, was once again enjoying the spotlight.

"We'd love to stay and chat with you, ladies," Shujiri began, wriggling loose from the choking grip of a young, violet-haired Acolyte, "But we-"

"Ah!"

The familiar voice brought Ghebriel and Falcone to turn, and they were greeted with the sight of the head healer.

"Hello, sir." Dmitri greeted the High Priest with a wave as he approached.

"I didn't expect you to come back so soon." the man said, his smile warm and his eyes dancing with laughter. "What brings you here? Do you need assistance?"

"No, not this time." Falcone replied kindly, taking Ghebriel's hand in his own. The man had healed his lover to the best of his ability, so he would be as polite as humanly possible. He had overseen the care of the others in the group who had been injured as well, of course, but Ghebriel was the only one that mattered to him in those terms. "We've come in search of someone."

"Oh? Who are you looking for?"

"Chrnos." Shujiri responded. He pulled Dmitri into the circle of women and slipped out quickly, letting them squeal about the Stalker for a while so he would be free to talk. The plan worked and Dmitri was soon the surprised new wearer of seven pairs of slender, roaming arms. He chuckled when Dmitri yelped, and refused to think about what had probably just happened. "He's a Clown. He has short hair that's blonde and- were his eyes blue?"

Zira nodded.

"Blue eyes. He would have come here with a Lord Knight named Xabel Vanhaerents. Chrnos was hurt really badly in a fight-"

The High Priest shook his head. "I'm afraid no one like that has come through here recently. We've had a lot of people coming in injured from attacks in the waters surrounding this little town, but no Clowns or Lord Knights. Most of them have been townspeople - Merchants, by and in large."

"What happens to them? Do the monsters just jump into the ship or-"

"I'm not sure. Most of the people that came here have survived, but they've either been too afraid of what they saw to speak of it, or they haven't regained consciousness yet. We're still waiting to find out what happened."

"That's terrible." Zira sympathized, frowning. "Will they be okay though?"

"I see no reason why they shouldn't be." the taller man replied. "They're just regaining their strength. The attacks seem to have taken a lot out of them, so they need time to build their energies back up before they'll wake up and answer any questions. Those who were in more worrisome shape are on the mend as we speak."

"I hate to cut this short." Pharin interrupted as he flew to Shujiri's shoulder. When he landed, he poked him in the cheek with his right wing. "You need to get going. If he isn't here, move on. We can't spend eternity grabbing it up to people who've saved your butts when we've got better, more important things to do!"

"Shh." Shujiri reprimanded the little creature, flicking his fingers on the bird-shaped Filir's beak. When Pharin snapped at him in return, he passed him back to Ghebriel and then turned back to the healer. "Sorry about the annoying homunculus." he said softly.

The man chuckled. "Don't worry. I understand if you have things you need to be doing; we won't keep you away any longer than necessary." He turned his attention to the women that were crowding Jackel and Dmitri and snapped his fingers. Immediately they all turned their attention to him. "Back to work, girls; the patients won't tend themselves. I wouldn't let them yet even if they could."

With a parting farewell, Shujiri and the others left the complex and made their way to the heart of town again.

Frowning, Sahari growled in frustration. "Where could they have gotten to?"

"I guess the only option we have left is to split up and meet back here." sighed Shujiri. He rubbed his neck, frowning. "I wish there were a faster way to do this."

"When should we meet up?" Lana asked, placing her hand gently on his bicep to get his attention.

"About half an hour, I guess. This place isn't _that_ big; we should be able to search the entire area by then if we go in different directions. Ask everyone you see if they've seen Xabel and Chrnos. We can't afford to spend too much more time trailing after them if we're going to keep falling behind like this."

The group split up, keeping Sahari close to Jackel and Lana near Shujiri in case of unexpected attacks. If things were attacking in the sea nearby, there was no telling when monsters would pop up on the shores of Izlude as well. As they separated, Shujiri and Zira called out their pets to assist them.

"What're we going to do if we can't find them?" Sahari asked. She propped her arms behind her head as she walked, looking up to the sky to watch the clouds lazily float by for a moment. "We don't really have a lot of time to waste if everything he said is true."

"I reckon we'll find out when we cross that bridge." Jackel responded, shrugging. "Here's a-hopin' we ain't gonna need to find out the answer, missy."

Sahari eyed him for a while, watching him stuff his hands into the pockets of his pants. Her dark eyes followed the line of his jacket as it draped, albeit a bit stiffly, over the form of his arm and then let them be derailed by the vast expanse of lightly tanned, scarred skin that made up his stomach and chest. They traveled slowly up until they settled on the man's face, studying the details for a bit. The slight swishing of his ponytail as they walked interrupted the focus, however, and she instead concentrated on it, wondering briefly how soft it was.

"Ouch! Careful, missy!" Jackel warned gently, tugging his hair out of the younger girl's reach carefully. He gave her a weak smile and turned his face away from her again.

Sahari blinked. She'd been unaware that she had actually acted on the passing curiosity, but at least she had an answer to her inward question now.

_Pretty silky, for a guy like him._ she mused to herself, smiling. _Nice to see he's apparently got a soft side, too. I've never met anybody who's really as tough and loud as he acts that paid enough attention to their looks to care what their hair looks like._

Honey-coloured eyes turned to her when a small giggle erupted from her, but Sahari shook her head and shrugged, and Jackel's attention returned to the path ahead of them.

A gentle breeze brushed across the land and Sahari shivered slightly. The slight fluctuation in temperature was unexpected, but it was mild enough that it didn't have much effect otherwise. It didn't escape the Gunslinger's attention either way.

"Y' cold?" he asked, looking down at her.

"I'm-" Sahari paused. A smile drew across her lips but was quickly and easily hidden by a poker face as she shuddered again. "It's getting chilly, I guess." she answered, glancing down at her chest. "These outfits don't offer a lot of warmth."

"Guess they wouldn't, lookin' like that." Jackel chuckled. He drew his hands from his pockets. They hesitated for a moment, but the hesitation vanished with a glance to the girl.

Sahari was mildly alarmed when the horned gunman began pulling off his red and white coat. She hadn't expected him to actually go along with her plan; she hadn't even really put much effort into trying to seem convincing! Still, when Jackel started, she couldn't find it in her to stop him. Further, he seemed to actually believe she was getting cold.

The man's hands seemed to remove the fabric of his coat from his frame in slow motion as the girl watched. Each new inch of skin he revealed seemed to be dotted with scars that she was sure would tell his life story if they could speak. When the article of clothing had been removed, she marveled at what a difference its removal made.

The man who had seemed so massive before looked suddenly more normal - thinner and less bulky. She realized how much of his appearance he could attribute to his clothing and found herself surprised to discover that there was more than training to back up the man's agile maneuvers and quick draw. By no means was he as thin as Zira, but he was slightly larger than Dmitri in terms of height and muscle mass. Jackel's torso was a myriad of misshapen scars, some of which were faded with time and others that were bright and obvious from their recent adventures together. Even his back, from what she could see, was littered with proof of old injuries. Sahari restrained herself from reaching out to touch the firearms expert's abdomen to see if they were as firm as they appeared.

Jackel, who usually thrived on the attention and interaction with others, suddenly found himself uncomfortable under the scrutinizing, analytical gaze of the young Assassin Cross. Turning away from her to disguise the embarrassed tint on his cheeks, he thrust the coat out to her. "Here ya go, missy. Nice 'n warm."

Hearing the call of reality, Sahari jumped a bit in surprise when the coat was thrust into her arms but she took it just the same. It was big on her considering the difference in his build to hers and his height compared with her own, so the hem dragged the ground at her feet like the train of a deep red dress. She glanced down at it and, when she opened her mouth to apologize, Jackel cut her off.

"I ain't worried none 'bout it. 'S dirt, ain't nothin' a good wash won't take care of." he said with a smile.

Sahari nodded, willing himself to return the man's smile.

They continued in silence for a bit until they finally found a group of people ahead of them. Making their way to the huddled townsfolk, they began their inquiries as to the whereabouts of the slippery Lord Knight and Clown that had eluded their grasp so many times already.

_**Elsewhere**.._

"I know that Shujiri-san said you must find those men," Yuuki said softly, frowning, "But would it not make more sense to find the man you need still in order to complete your group first, and then search for them, Zira-sama?"

The blonde shook his head from his place on the rurouni's back where Yuuki had chosen to 'store' him to move them more quickly through the area. With his speed they could easily run a good half of the town and ask the people they found about Chrnos just in case the others had missed someone who might have seen him.

"Why is that?"

"I'm not sure myself." Zira admitted, his frown deepening a little. "Shujiri's the leader, though; he remembers everything the rest of us don't, so we just have to trust that he knows what's best."

"But your memories-?"

"They aren't as complete as his." the High Priest explained, ducking his head under a tree branch as Yuuki charged onward, holding him by the backs of the legs with a firm, steady grip. "Everything is coming back to me, but it's still fragmented. I don't know when all those memories will click into place chronologically so I can't trust that I could suggest anything more logical. And he _did_ have a point."

"Which one?" mused the swordsman, chuckling. "He makes many."

Zira smiled at this. "He does. But I meant about Chrnos. If he knows anything we don't about our enemies, we need to know so we'll have a better idea of what we're up against. We might get an idea of how much time we have left."

Yuuki nodded. "I believe you are all lucky to have such logic and tact in a leader, and I believe he is equally as lucky to be surrounded by the consideration and friendship of the others in this group."

"That does include you, you know." Zira reminded the human-shaped monster, prodding his dark haired-head gently with his finger. "You're part of the group., I wish you would start including yourself in it more."

"I will try, Zira-sama."

The two were silent for a while as they slowed upon approaching another area of the town.

_**Meanwhile..**_

Shujiri glanced to the woman walking at his side. Her warm smile hadn't left since they'd reached the town, but he wasn't sure what had sparked it. Despite his lack of certainty on the matter, a small part of him was whispering possibilities in his ear. Although he tried to ignore the things it offered for explanations, the strong and agile Assassin Cross Shujiri was only human, and he found himself becoming concerned by a few of them.

"So," Shujiri began, forcing a smile that he hoped didn't appear too obviously fake to her and hoping it would cover the apprehension in his face and voice, "Having fun on the trip with us so far?"

Lana looked at the blue-haired man and her smile grew. "I have to admit that you know how to have an adventure." she said, her smile turning mischievous. "Is every trip you people take as dramatic as this has been so far?"

Shujiri chuckled. "I'd like to say that we have our moments of peace and quiet, but they're few and far between. For the most part, what you see is what we've been getting. How about you?"

Lana thought for a moment, then frowned a bit. Glancing down, she sighed. "No," she answered, "It's never like this. At least, it wasn't until I joined all of you."

Catching the frown and the downtrodden tone of voice the High Priestess had used, Shujiri turned his attention onto her. "Not that I'm surprised nothing like this usually happens to ye, but you sound almost..disappointed."

Lana's smile turned sad at these words. Her clear eyes remained focused on the ground at her feet as they continued walking, their conversation occasionally interrupted by the inquiries they made to the locals. "I suppose I am, a little."

"Why? If you don't mind me askin', that is."

"For a long time, I was basically secluded."

"Eh?"

"My parents loved me, but when I was old enough to choose a career, they vaulted me into the church. They weren't even really very religious, and the bit of religion they did follow, they weren't specifically followers of Freya. I'm not sure what made them choose that career for me, but when they sent me to the church, they told me they loved me and said to make them proud, and keep my head down."

"That doesn't sound too nice, to be honest."

"Oh, they weren't trying to be pushy." A regal blue brow arched, and Lana chuckled a bit at her wording. "I suppose they were, a little." she amended. "But not out of bossiness or spite. They were good to me, and I love them very much. I followed the path they wanted and I can't say that I regret it. I love what I do, and I love the idea of being able to help people; if it hadn't been for that, I may not have ever met Jackel - I might not have met _any_ of you."

"So why are you so sad about it?"

"My only friends, once I entered the church, were the Priests and the leaders of the churches and temples. I wasn't really allowed to interact with anyone my age; in fact, they kept me separated from everyone - so much so that the church leaders took it upon themselves to train me. Bishop Hibram, himself, came to get me when it was time for me to go further in my career. He took me with him to the abbey for a while before enough time passed that I no longer needed their guidance, and he was forced to send me to the temple in Rachel for a short stay before letting me go out on my own for the first time since I was a child."

Shujiri frowned, but allowed her to continue.

"My life was so secluded and my world so small from having such a limited amount of people I could talk to that I didn't have any friends. That is, not until I met one boy in Einbroch.."

When the blonde trailed off, Shujiri turned his attention back onto her. He silently coaxed her to continue, curious to learn more about her. His earlier concerns had been temporarily banished. "What was his name?"

"He said his name was Nero - Nero Fane. Nero was a sweet man, and he was very clever. We were friends almost from the moment we met. I only knew him for a little over a week before he said he needed to leave. I offered to go with him, partly out of concern for him and partly because, I admit, I was a little selfish in wanting to keep the only friend I'd ever made who was around my age close by."

Shujiri shook his head. "That's not selfish." he softly told her, clasping her shoulder gently to offer comfort he sensed she was beginning to need. "It's normal. I wanted to keep Zira around all the time when we first became friends; he _was_ my first friend, after all; he accepted me when no one else did. I didn't want to lose that, but sometimes we don't have a choice. I just got lucky; he looked around until he found me again."

"I wish I'd had the nerve to do that before it was too late." Lana confessed, her frown deepening.

"Too late?"

"There's no way I could find him again now; every chance of that died a long time ago."

Shujiri remained silent, waiting for her to gather herself to continue. This was obviously a difficult topic for her, and he had a sinking feeling he knew where this was leading.

"He said to remember to always be myself, and not to let the world try to change me. He said to hold the morals I had close. We said our goodbyes, and we went our separate ways,. But on the day he was supposed to leave town, there was an accident in Einbroch. I don't know what happened, exactly; all I know is that he was involved in it, and he didn't make it. I was so upset that I just left the town and kept to myself for a long time until I finally met Jackel."

Ahh. There was the little green-eyed monster again.

"What changed your mind about the self-imposed seclusion?" Shujiri inquired.

The smile returned to Lana's face as she pondered her answer, and he felt the clenching of his heart grow stronger. "I don't think it was any one thing, to be honest." she answered, pushing a bit of hair behind her ear.

It was a nervous habit Shujiri recognized from his years of friendship with Zira and Jeliel, but he didn't say anything; he couldn't jump to conclusions. She continued.

"I didn't _mean_ to become involved in Jackel's affairs. I was minding my own business and the next thing I know, we're sprawled out opposite each other and apologizing for running into each other. He'd been running from a small group of girls that he said were getting a little too friendly, and when the girls ran back up to him and started harassing him again, I felt sorry for him."

"Oh?"

Lana giggled, covering her lips daintily with her hand. "He looked so frazzled that I couldn't help jumping in. I asked them to remove themselves from my husband and let us get back to our honeymoon."

Shujiri arched an eyebrow at this, amusement coming back to his eyes as he smiled at the image. The boisterous Gunslinger couldn't have possibly been used to needing help like that, so to have the offer shoved onto him in such a manner might have helped, but it must have really taken him by surprise as well. He didn't seem like the kind who liked to ask for help, much less receive charity or pity from those around him.

"They left him alone after that and we just ended up traveling together. He's just so open and warm. He's rough, I suppose you could say, but he's also gentle. I know he comes across as being inflated, but in this case, that really is just part of who he is. Jackel doesn't play it up for anybody; he just enjoys the attention and companionship. He can also be toned down and demure if the mood strikes him, though."

"Ye sound pretty acquainted with 'im then." Inwardly, Shujiri winced. He hadn't meant that to sound dejected, and he hoped the tone hadn't come out like that to her, either. He cursed the little monster that continually bit him on the nose, prompting him to say things around the woman he knew didn't sound like his normal self.

If the High Priestess noticed it, she didn't say anything about it. She was too lost in the discussion. "Only as much as can be possible when you travel with someone for so long." she responded softly, her smile turning back into a small, sad frown. "But there's so much he doesn't let out, Shujiri; it worries me. When we were on the air ship, he told me about his first wife. She sounded very nice - perfectly fit for him. But when he talked about her, there was so much sadness and raw pain I could feel from his tone and see in his eyes."

"If Zira's dream was anything to go by, I'm not surprised."

"It's part of what made me want to go with him. I didn't know at the time what I know now, but there was just something about him that drew me in. Just like you and Zira with your friendship, or me to-"

"Any luck?" Alex asked, interrupting the discussion abruptly.

Lana smiled weakly at the realization that they'd gone through the entire area they'd set off to and had already made it back to the center of town.

Although he was still curious about what the woman had been intending to say, Shujiri kept silent. He had the feeling it wasn't something she wanted to say in front of everyone, and so he wouldn't force the issue now. There would be time later to talk about it and find out what was on her mind. For now, they had to figure out what to do, because it certainly didn't seem like the others had fared much better in their search.

"I take it nobody had any luck?" Jeliel inquired, coming up behind Zira and, once again pointedly ignoring everyone's stares and the giggles of the women, wrapping his arms around the man's waist when Yuuki lowered him back to the ground.

Shujiri shook his head.

"Well, wise leader, what do we do now?" Falcone asked. His eyes, as well as those of the others, turned to the blue-clad killer.

Shujiri rubbed his neck at this as he gave it a bit of thought. "We seem to have lost their trail entirely this time." He frowned. "We don't have any leads to go on, and we can't wast time by just going out and looking around for them randomly. We'll just have to go on without whatever they know and fine Rine quickly, I guess."

"You want us to wing it?" Pharin put in at a deadpan. "Seriously? We could have been doing that all along, jerk face!"

Weary, Ghebriel sighed. "Pharin, please, don't do this now."

"We don't have any other options, Pharin. It was a good try while it lasted, but whatever they know, they'll have to just keep it to themselves. We'll just have to try to be faster to make up for the time we've lost in the process. For now, though, I think we all need to take a break and get some rest. We'll continue in a couple of days, once we're all feeling better. That fight with Kiel took a lot out of everybody, mended or not."

"Then, might I make a request?" ventured Falcone, his red eyes shining with hope.

"Fire away."

"Would it be alright if Ghebriel and I went to Jawaii during this time to renew our marriage in this life? I remember enough now to know that we had been married in the past, and I know enough now to know that these feelings are only going to get stronger - not weaker. I'd like to make that official again, if he wouldn't mind.

The redhead turned to Ghebriel, smiling, only to find the wide-eyed Creator stunned into silence.

"Ghebriel?" Falcone asked softly, taking his face in his palm gently. He searched for any sign of acceptance in the man's eyes, as well as any trace of rejection, but found nothing of either. The bubbling happiness he'd felt moments ago suddenly felt flat and strangled as concern rose in his mind that perhaps the spacy man wasn't ready for this step yet. Although they knew they'd been together before, this was a different lifetime - one in which they had only recently found each other again. Maybe it was too soon?

Before the worry could gain more of a foothold, Ghebriel startled the Scholar out of his thoughts. His hands lifted to cover his face and his shoulders shook mildly. He giggled and any signs of worry in the Professor's mind disappeared.

When Ghebriel's arms wound around Falcone's neck, the redhead finally recovered enough to slowly plant his arms around the thin frame he loved. Red eyes gazed down into the pale eyes of the other man and he drew him in for a kiss.

For a change, Pharin remained silent. He watched the display with wide, yellow eyes, carefully monitoring it for any signs of change in a negative direction. When none were forthcoming, however, he settled down entirely and just let the lovers interact, uninterrupted by his typical outbursts. He was content that his creator was safe and happy for now, so he had no reason to interfere.

When the two men drew away, Falcone smiled to signal his understanding. The Biochemist had accepted his offer, and he was grateful for it.

Ghebriel, however, felt the need to vocally confirm his answer. Once he finally found his voice, he pressed his cheek against the chest of his lover. "I would love to renew the past with you."

Sahari was the first to react after a few minutes of standing together, silent in united happiness for their two friends. Grinning excitedly, she bounced on her heels as she shouted, "Well, what are we waiting for?! We have a wedding to set up!"

Shujiri chuckled, shrugging. "We _are_ taking a couple of days to rest. We can do it up properly in the meantime."

"We'll need someone to marry us." Falcone hinted, bright eyes falling onto a scythe-wielding blonde head.

"I'd be honoured." Zira replied.

"Okay. You guys go take care of things in Jawaii." Lana said gently, shooing Zira and Falcone towards the docks. "Take a few people with you and set up the location, and I'll keep Ghebriel and whoever you don't take here to get the rest taken care of here before we go."

Raising a brow, Falcone chuckled. "Don't I _need_ the bride, to _marry_ the bride?"

"You do." Lana acknowledged. "But it's bad luck to _see_ your bride before the wedding. Now, get going!"

With the explanation made, the group parted ways for the time being. Falcone, Zira, Jeliel, Jackel, Yuuki, and Alex made their way to Jawaii on the first ship that became available. Shujiri, Sahari, Lady Lana, Ghebriel, Dmitri, and Tyr stayed in Izlude to get the "bride"-to-be ready for the big day.  
**To Be Continued...**


	57. With This Ring

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note: **It took a while to find a version of the vows I wanted to use; I never knew there were so many variations of it. For all you religion-shippers, I want to warn you now that this chapter is, obviously, a marriage for two men. If you hold any prejudice against same-sex marriages you might want to skip this one. I, myself, don't have a problem with same-sex marriage, personally; I don't see why love would be considered a sin. What was that whole bit about "love thy neighbour" anyhow...? Anyway, I can't think of something I like to use for the theme so we'll just use "Tread on the Ground" which, sources say, lays in a field somewhere south of Prontera. Slow it down, make it a piano piece, and it might work. Also, one last note before we launch into the story. DivinationRO was a cool server. The clothes Ghebriel and Falcone wear in this chapter are what DRO called a Shinigami Suit (yes, think Bleach.) It was more like a captain suit though. The hair bow also came from there. I might try to hunt out a screenshot of it later and pseudo-link it later so you'll know what I'm talking about, but for now, just imagine a Shinigami suit in black and blue. /swt

**RoChronicles  
**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-Two: With This Ring  
**On the small island of Jawaii, the wedding of Falcone Vanalstyne and Ghebriel Ma'alin was finally underway after a day of reparations. A few people they had become acquainted with in Izlude were in attendance with the rest of the group, and Falcone's parents had quickly answered the request for their presence and warped there. They sat in the front row by the rest of the personal guests.

The Scholar, concerned at the lack of representatives from Ghebriel's family, questioned their absence a few times. When his inquiries came out unanswered, he filed those queries away for later and contented himself with checking to make sure, once again, that he looked as pristine as possible for the ceremony.

Now, moments before the ceremony was set to begin, Shujiri stood behind the island's sole tavern with Ghebriel. The Biochemist fidgeted nervously, glancing around to be sure no one was close enough to overhear him when he spoke. It wasn't out of necessity, for they were the only ones not in lace, but rather, a nervous habit many people had.

Shujiri placed a calming hand on the other man's shoulder, gently shushing him. When he finally had him calm enough to answer him, he asked, "What did ye need to see me about? You need to get in place for the wedding. Unless-"

"Oh, I'm not getting cold feet; I remembered the shoes."

Shujiri closed his eyes for a moment, stopping himself from pointing out futilely that that wasn't what the phrase means, exactly, because he knew how much good that would do him. Everyone was waiting to start, so they had very little time left.

"It _is_ about you and the wedding, though."

Frowning, the taller man tilted his head in a display of confusion.

"I-" Ghebriel paused, frowning as well, then glanced away. He continued, still refusing to establish eye contact. "I'm afraid I have to ask you a favour today."

"Ask away."

"Every bride needs someone to walk them down the aisle, and although I may not entirely fit the description of 'bride' for a few reasons-"

"The old man didn't show?"

Ghebriel bit his lip for a moment and shook his head. "I guess it was too much to hope for that he and Mistletoe would make it here in one day. Or at all, really."

"Bad relationship..?"

"It's not that. He's easy to find, and we get along well enough. It's just that when you find him, the issue is getting him out of the bottom of whichever bottle he's working on at the time. He's not intentionally neglectful, but since my mother died-"

Shujiri stopped him from explaining further. Today was supposed to be a happy day for the couple and he wasn't going to let this ruin the occasion for them. "I'm sorry they couldn't make it, Gheb; do you need a substitute for the escort?"

The Creator smiled weakly. "I do."

Chuckling, Shujiri held out his hand. "Ye should wait until you get to Falcone to be saying that, buddy. C'mon; I'd be honoured to give you away."

_**A short time ****later..**_

After what felt like forever to the people waiting anxiously for the outdoor ceremony to start, Dmitri finally stuck his head out of the tavern and waved to them all. After delivering the signal to start, he made his way to his seat and turned to watch the procession.

Pharin was the first to come down the aisle. He had graciously allowed Lana to wrap a small amount of ribbon around his neck and tie it into a makeshift bow tie of sorts. The brilliant blue material sparkled under the sun's rays, reflecting on the sequins and casting miniature rainbows in shades of blue across the white cloth-covered.._everythings_, in the area. Clutched protectively in his tiny feet were the rings that his master and Falcone would be wearing by the end of the day.

Once Pharin was a little ways ahead of her, Sahari stepped up and began her slow procession down the aisle behind him. Red and pink rose petals in a small wicker basket that hung on her arm waited to be gathered in small handfuls and thrown about. Her hair, which she typically wore bound in a clip against the back of her head, had been let down and turned into twin braids that hung over her lightly tanned, exposed shoulders. Her uniform had been replaced with a deep red dress that had no sleeves and, instead, wrapped around the neck to hold it up. It hung loosely enough to fall to her feet, its silken fabric moving like red waves around her legs with each step.

As she went by Jackel's seat, she cast a quick glance at the gunman and winked, a sneaky grin on her face. A small pang of disappointment announced its presence when she noticed that he was doing his best _not_ to look at her, however, so she turned her attention back to the front. If she smacked him square in the face with her hand when she threw the next handful of rose petals out, she pretended not to notice and continued on her way.

Next was Lady Lana, who walked slowly enough to form a decently sized gap between Sahari and herself. She had never been to a wedding as a participant until now, but she had certainly overseen a few in her time. She knew that appearances were everything when it came down to the most important day of a couple's lives, and she wanted it to be perfect for these two.

Long, blonde hair had been smoothed down out of its typically wavy nature and now rested against her back in a single golden braid. Naturally brightly coloured lips had been slightly muted with a shade that matched the faint shading of blush dusted across her cheeks. Her uniform, like Sahari's, had been exchanged for a dress for the special occasion. Where Sahari's dress needed to be tied around her neck, Lana's frame had filled out more with maturity brought by age and needed no such thing. The heart-shaped bodice fit her snugly and hugged her chest intimately. Gold trim was interwoven with some of the pure white lace that had been laid across it, giving off a feeling of rich vibrancy that otherwise would have been left relatively simple and forgettable. It hung from her hips loosely and fell to just below her ankles in a cascade of shiny silk which caressed the skin of her thighs as she walked.

Passing her friends, she giggled inwardly at the expressions on their faces when they saw Sahari and herself. Even Jackel, who had fought not to stare at the younger girl, found himself unable to look away once the hit in the face had drawn his attention to the exotic burgundy-haired youth and, following her, the blonde beauty.

At the front of the gathering, Alex's fingers continued to dance over the keys of the piano and the tone became one considerably more familiar to everyone. Having kept his eyes closed through most of the song so far, he opened them to watch the big entrance of the bride and her father when they entered.

_Er, his._ he corrected himself inwardly, smirking a bit at his slip. _At least he can't read minds._

Jeliel looked up to Falcone. Shujiri was late in arriving, he'd noticed, but he'd hoped he would make it before Ghebriel came down the aisle. Beside him, Yuuki sat with Tyr at his feet, watching intently.

The High Wizard quickly looked over to the other side and noticed Falcone's parents staring, seeming mildly confused, up at the altar where their son waited for his bride. It seemed the aquamarine-haired man and his redheaded wife were pondering the absence of the best man as well.

Even Zira, who stood in front of everyone at the altar by Falcone, seemed concerned. His eyes fell on Mr. Nom-Nom, who hopped lazily around in the aisle from time to time to chomp on rose petals, and his smile returned. Animals, he had decided long ago, monster or not, were adorable. They had always been able to easily lift his spirits.

Falcone anxiously placed his hand on Zira's wrist. "He's taking so long." he whispered nervously, eyes scanning the distance to try and sot his lover. "Is it possible he changed his mind? Have I asked him prematurely and pushed him into the decision? Should-"

Zira's stare eased his frazzled nerves a bit. "Listen to me," he whispered back, "Because I'll only say this once. I should only _need_ to say this once. He's not going to change his mind, Falcone. You love each other; this is the perfect thing for both of you. He's probably just fretting over how he looks and forgotten the time. I'm sure that's where Shujiri is, too. Don't worry so much."

Sighing deeply, Falcone nodded.

His ponytail remained in place, as did his glasses, but his red and gold uniform had been replaced by a black hakama and kosode. The white juban underneath was a stark contrast, and the red obi about his waist matched the shade of red that had been used to create the haori that covered the outfit. Even the inner lining of his haori was a stunning shade of red. A wreath of red flowers wove through his hair and around his horns; they had been carefully placed by the two women who were now taking their respective places.

A shuffling in the distance brought everyone's eyes to the side of the tavern just in time to see Shujiri, dressed to the nines in his black tuxedo with a deep blue shirt underneath, step out into their line of sight. Before Falcone could motion him up, however, he stopped. Breathing, that is.

Ghebriel had slipped out beside their fearless leader, taking the arm offered to him. The light-eyed man still wore the accursed bandage over his bad eye, but everything else seemed to have been changed out entirely.

A pristine white ribbon tinted with such a faint shade of blue that it was almost nonexistent wound around the base of his ponytail and peeked out from either side of his head. The waves of the bunched up material at its sides gave it more of an appearance of a butterfly's wings. He had dawned an outfit similar to Falcone's in celebration of the home they intended to make together in the oriental town of Amatsu. The singular difference between the two that stood out was the colouration of Ghebriel's obi and the inner lining of his haori; where his husband-to-be's was red, his was a brilliant blue-violet.

Zira gently nudged Falcone and the man came back to his senses, startled. He was thankful everyone was transfixed by the same sight he had been, for it stopped anyone from noticing the fierce blush beginning to tinge his cheeks the longer he stared at the 'Chemist. He briefly wondered why Shujiri was with Ghebriel instead of his father. He couldn't recall any mention of his father _at all_ in a past life, though, and because asking would have meant not only interrupting the ceremony but also somehow finding the will power to force his brain to think about anything other than the man he was about to give his name to, he remained silent.

The people in the aisle continued the procession slowly until they reached the altar. Pharin flew to Shujiri's shoulder as the Assassin Cross took his place by Falcone, leaving Alex to slowly draw the bridal march to a close.

A small round of applause broke out, but it died down quickly as Zira began to speak.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two in marriage. Into this holy estate, these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace." The blonde paused. Without even a cursory glance around, he added in, "But if you speak, I'll blast you into Valhalla."

A soft giggle came from Lana.

"Through marriage, Falcone Vanalstyne and Ghebriel Ma'alin make a commitment together to face their disappointments, embrace their dreams, realize their hopes, and accept each other's failures. Falcone and Ghebriel will promise one another to aspire to these ideals throughout their lives together - through mutual understanding, openness, and sensitivity to each other." Pausing once again, Zira glanced between the two, then looked to Shujiri from the corner of his eyes questioningly. "Who gives this man in marriage to this, er, other man?"

Shujiri lifted his arm from his side, drawing attention temporarily to himself. "I give Ghebriel in marriage to Falcone."

"By gathering together all the wishes of happiness and our fondest hopes for them, we assure them that our wishes are in tune with theirs. These moments are meaningful to everyone. This relationship stands for love, loyalty, honesty, and trust, but most of all, for friendship. It was through this friendship that they came together, and it is from the seed of love that they come to be united today."

Bright blue eyes shifted to Ghebriel.

"Do you, Ghebriel Ma'alin, take Falcone Vanalstyne to be your husband to live together after the ordinance of the gods in holy matrimony? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honour and keep him in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, and keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?"

Ghebriel's visible eye shone with unspilt tears of happiness as he gently squeezed Falcone's hand in his own. "Yes, I do."

"And do you, Falcone Vanalstyne, take Ghebriel Ma'alin to be your, er.." Zira hesitated, glancing to Ghebriel for a clue as to what he would rather be called. When he received a shrug, he gave a weak smile. "-To be your wife? To live together after the ordinance of the gods in holy matrimony? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, and keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?"

This time it was Falcone's turn to give his partner's hand a long squeeze. He stared down at the other man, brilliant red eyes warm with affection. The smile on his face was tender as he replied, "I do."

"Then, may I see the rings?"

Pharin flitted from Shujiri's shoulder soundlessly. He hovered over Zira's outstretched hand for a moment before lowering to his palm and carefully, with more consideration than most of them had seen him take for anything, settled the rings into his hand. When he was satisfied that Zira had them safely in his grip, he moved back to Shujiri's shoulder.

"May these rings be blessed as the symbol of this affectionate unity. These two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever they may go, may they always return to one another. May they find in each other the love for which all people yearn. May they grow in understanding and compassion, and may the home they establish together be a place that many will find there a friend."

Zira allowed the brief round of soft applause, however unconventional, before continuing. His blue eyes turned to Falcone again. "Falcone, in placing this ring on Ghebriel's finger, repeat after me." He held out his hand, revealing the pair of matching golden bands to the couple. When Falcone took the one sized to fit his lover, he waited for the cue. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring," the redhead began, holding Ghebriel's hand up. He slipped it gently onto the smaller figure's ring finger and, lifting it to his lips, kissed it. He smiled at the swell of his heart when the blush he loved so much coated the other man's cheeks. "I thee wed."

Shujiri and Lana glanced to each other at the sweet show of affection, a smile on their faces. Their eyes met and they quickly looked away again, only to return to gazing across at each other from the corner of their eyes. The smiles remained in lace when they finally turned their attention back to the two men at the altar with them.

Having caught a glimpse of the exchange, Zira restrained a chuckle and forced himself to remain professional for the moment. The ceremony was almost over, and then he could tease his friend to his heart's content. For now...

"Ghebriel, in placing this ring on Falcone's finger, repeat after me." Again, Zira held his hand out - this time to Ghebriel. Once the Creator had taken the remaining ring in his hand, he finished. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Falcone held his hand up for the temporarily ill-sighted male to better judge distance and happily allowed him to slip the band onto his finger. Once it was in lace, Ghebriel silently admired it for a moment and felt his cheeks grow warmer at the thought that what he saw before him was the mate of the ring on his own finger. When he felt calm enough to speak without allowing his happiness to crack his words or shake his tone, he repeated, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"What therefore the gods have joined together, let no one put asunder. And so, by the power invested in me by the holy establishments of Rachel and Prontera and under the gods I now pronounce you man and..wife. May your days be good and long upon the earth. You may now kiss the bride."

Strong arms curled around a thin waist and pulled the smaller of the pair against his chest, staring down into the light-coloured gaze that, in turn, was focused intently on scanning his face and memorizing every tiny detail of the moment they found themselves sharing. A silent eternity passed for the people who were gathered for the ceremony but it seemed to be only a matter of seconds for Falcone and Ghebriel as they quickly committed the event to memory - one they would be able to look back on together as the real renewal of their lives together in Rune-Midgard.

Finally, breaking the spell the couple seemed to be under, Falcone bent his head down marginally and Ghebriel leaned up in the same moment. Their lips met and Ghebriel's arms wound around the taller man's shoulders. When they finally puled apart, they again wore matching smiles. The people present cheered and applauded the newlyweds, and although they could hear the commotion surrounding them and Falcone could clearly pick out the voices of his parents, they ignored it. The sounds fell away until it was only the two of them standing there alone.

Chuckling, Shujiri clapped Ghebriel on the shoulder and brought the two to reality. "Ye can skip the reception if you want, but you need to chuck the bouquet or there are several people here who might not be too happy."

Ghebriel laughed nervously at the reminder. "I forgot all about the bouquet." His visible eye looked down to the carefully arranged bundle of blue, violet, and white flowers in his hand and glanced back at the people behind him.

"Go on, my dear." Falcone coaxed gently. When Ghebriel's gaze met his, he smiled again and kissed him once more. "Throw it and we'll go relax together for a while."

Now preoccupied, the dopey smile on Ghebriel's lips didn't falter once even as he turned his attention entirely onto the Scholar that held him. His eyes slowly closed as he whispered softly, lips barely an inch away from Falcone's, "Equations?"

"Mhm." Falcone responded vaguely, his smile turning into more of a playful smirk. He moved slightly closer to meet the other man's lips with his own. They brushed against one another as he added softly, "Theories that involve fireworks and electricity.."

With that, the smaller man closed the distance and his attention was completely removed from the people who still watched them. Upon finding that the bouquet was in the way of holding Falcone closer with both hands, he flicked the flowers over his shoulder carelessly. The panic that ensued from the women who had attended attempting to catch the bouquet was lost on them as Falcone turned and, guiding Ghebriel by the waist, took him away from the prying eyes of their friends, family, and acquaintances.

Lana's shy gaze turned back to Shujiri and she would have commented about how beautiful the wedding had been and how kind it was of the Assassin Cross to escort Ghebriel in place of his father, but a gentle thump on top of her head startled her into silence.

Into her open hands fell the bouquet, the many petals of its beautiful flowers still as fresh and unharmed as the day they had been picked and bunched together by careful hands. In the center of the single white rose with dyed red tips, signifying the purity of the relationship Falcone and Ghebriel shared and the lifetimes of love they had put into it time and again.

As Zira giggled, Lana's face took on a dark blush. Shyly, her eyes turning to Shujiri, she realized what she was staring at. The Assassin seemed content not to face her whatsoever and was fighting off his own uncharacteristic hue of pink. She turned her eyes slowly onto Sahari and Jackel, thankful that neither were really paying attention anymore; the Gunslinger was occupying himself with staring at the ceiling as Sahari leaned against his shoulder to rest, her arms wrapped around one of his for lack of a better place to put them.

"I'm here whenever you need my services." Zira said softly to Shujiri and Lana, earning a gasp from the latter and a true, fierce blush from the former. They quickly faced away from each other again and began making their way to opposite sides of the reception that had started.

Zira laughed to himself at their behaviour and settled into a chair beside Jeliel. When the High Wizard subtly lifted his arm, the blonde took that as his invitation and curled up against his side. The hushed, awkward praise of his work from the man at his side made him smile as he finally found a comfortable position and, when Jeliel started to gently trace the tips of his gloved fingers over the tops of his hands, he let himself finally drift off to sleep.  
**To Be Continued...**


	58. No Rest for the Weary

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note: **Originally typed up on the computer at work while it was storming. Sounds like one great big good idea, right? Anywho, I'm sorry that we're pretty much launching from one fight right into the next, essentially. I tried to space it out a little, but there's nothing I can do about it if the timeline is to be kept the way it's planned out. This time, the theme is "I Miss You." Sources say this can be found in Geffen fields. Once again, you don't know how badly I wish they could just warp everywhere. They can do it singularly, but I'm betting it would be too much of a hassle if they warped around and got split up by it. Btw, sorry, but Izlude sprouted a proper inn..among other things.

**RoChronicles  
**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-Three: No Rest for the Weary  
**When morning arrived, the group had already relocated back to Izlude to find a place to stay for the night. Falcone and Ghebriel had gone on ahead of them to spend time together. They hadn't even ventured back for so much as a momentary appearance after running off together and no one had really expected them to.

Shujiri was the first to wake this time and he lazily strolled around the inn. He heard other voices as well, but none were from the people he knew so he paid them no mind. Instead, he focused his attention on their situation at present.

With Xabel and Chrnos out of the question, they were once again back to the same mission they had started with: find Rine and make sure they were prepared for the battle that lay ahead. They didn't have much longer; he could feel it in his bones. Things were changing in Rune-Midgard - changing for the worst. He recognized the dark weight that everyone seemed to carry on their shoulders for what it was.

Satan Morroc was growing stronger, and his followers were getting closer to freeing him again.

The neutral expression on the stealthy man's face fell away into a scowl of frustration as he stepped outside to watch the remainder of the sunrise. He had been so adamant about finding Xabel and Chrnos - so sure that they held the key to success this time with the visions the Clown was having. Surely it wasn't just a coincidence that someone they'd never met before was seeing things from such unusual perspectives. But, in the end, nothing had come of it; they always fell behind the pair.

Shujiri's eyes drifted shut as he allowed his thoughts to wander along these depressing lines for a time. He felt their time slipping away, and he had insisted they waste it on a wild goose chase.

Eventually the man turned his thoughts away from the darker ponderings and back onto his friends. The battles they had been in together had allowed him to assess their skills and readiness for what awaited them and although he had seen a marked improvement from everyone, they had a long way to go before they would be strong enough to take on Satan Morroc. He'd seen what could happen if you went against him unprepared and he wasn't about to make that mistake again.

Preparations would have to wait for a day or so, though. For now, Shujiri had given them all his word that they could freely take a bit o time to relax and recover before they set out to find Rine again.

Falcone and Ghebriel had taken full advantage of the agreement with their wedding and had launched almost immediately into their honeymoon. Although there had been a few other places the Scholar would have preferred to take his new spouse to celebrate, they were still needed with the group and so they wouldn't be able to visit those exotic locations until their services were no longer required.

Lana and Sahari had retreated earlier last night than the rest of them, with the High Priestess explaining that she felt weary and weak from exhaustion while the girl at her side made a performance of how sleepy she was. It reached the point where Jackel eventually had no alternative but to carry her up to the room the girls would be sharing.

After literally dropping Sahari off rather unceremoniously on her bed and hastily exiting the women's room, Jackel had returned to the rest of the group for a few hours before he, too, was finally forced to retreat for a bit of sleep.

Alex and Dmitri were the next to fall victim to the need for sleep. Alex had outlasted Dmitri only slightly, having assisted the Stalker to his room after an unfortunate event where he sprained his ankle quite badly. Tripping over a slumbering Tyr who was sprawled out beside Yuuki was still, it seemed, a problem for the accident-prone man.

With Lana asleep and Jeliel forbidding them to wake Zira, who hadn't even woken up during the move from the small island to Izlude, Dmitri had promised he would be fine come morning and gone to bed to prop it up.

Alex finally called it a night when even Yuuki started to doze off and he carefully woke the monster to send him to the room the men would be sharing for the night (sans, of course, Falcone and Ghebriel.) After he turned in, there was only Jeliel and Zira left to keep Shujiri company, and Zira was already asleep.

Jeliel had managed to last a bit longer to keep their restless leader company, but only a little. Half-way through their conversation, he started to drift off where he sat and Shujiri forced him to go to bed. The Assassin Cross had carefully carried his best friend to bed using every ounce of training he could squeeze from his lifetimes of experience to avoid waking him as Jeliel followed behind. It hadn't been long after that before he'd found himself bored with nothing to do and no one to talk to and he, too, ventured off into the world of dreams.

Blue eyes opened to the light of the sun once more. The morose expression stayed plastered on his face, but he felt his mood lifting marginally. His friends were still alive and they were safe, if only for now. Rine was out there; he'd heard too many references to him for him not to believe it. They might have lost a bit of time, he reasoned, but they were still together. As long as they stayed united and pushed on together, they stood a chance.

Suddenly, Shujiri found his resolve strengthened. They couldn't fail the people of Rune-Midgard this time. They couldn't fail _each other_ this time. They would have to be prepared for anything - even the sacrifices none of them wanted but each knew would be inevitable. There was only so much they could do, and at some point, Shujiri was sure one or more of them would fall. Zira wouldn't be able to keep up with everyone all at once.

_But we have Lady Lana this time, too._ Shujiri corrected himself, feeling a weight suddenly lift from his shoulders. There was still a lot to think about that the realization didn't ease, but at least in this one aspect, he was able to relax slightly. _Zira doesn't have to do it all alone; this time, we have somebody he can use to help him keep from getting overwhelmed. Maybe this time nothing will turn out as badly as last time.._

Truth be told, Shujiri felt a little guilty for the very thought of it. He liked Lana quite a bit, but Zira was his best friend. Lana, as a healer, would also need assistance in the fight; she would need protection just like Zira, he knew. But she had something going for her that the winged man did not.

The element of surprise.

_They know about the rest of us; they know Zira's going to be with us._ Shujiri watched as the clouds overhead began their slow movement from place to place, drifting lazily int he steady, gentle breeze of the early morning. _They'll be expecting to see him. But they won't know about _her_. There's no way they _could_ know about her. While she's being protected, she can help keep an eye out for trouble for him and the rest of us, too._

Clouds floated by at a slightly faster pace as the wind gained strength, but only marginally; it was still a beautiful day, despite the clouds in the distance. He ignored it, though, in favour of continuing his reflections.

_This time I'm not going to let ye get overwhelmed again, buddy._Shujiri promised softly. _No more sponging up guilt you don't deserve. Not for you, or for any of us. We can't let our failures in the past dictate how we react in the present of we'll be too jumpy and we'll mess up again. We have to build our defenses and strengthen our offenses. That's the only shot we have._

"Hey, 'Sinner."

Shujiri's eyebrow arched at the unusual nickname and he glanced down at Pharin. The little Filir must have woken up not long ago and come out to find him, as he now sat perched on his shoulder. He seemed mildly calm for once, but the tone o voice he'd used suggested that there was something on his mind.

"Pharin." Shujiri acknowledged briefly, looking back to the sky again.

They stayed like that, silently watching the world as it woke up to the song of the birds surrounding them, for a while longer until Pharin finally spoke again.

"So what's the plan from here on out?"

Mindful of the homunculus on his shoulder, Shujiri shrugged. "I thought that would be obvious."

"Humour me, funny boy."

"We find Rine. That's the only thing we _can_ do now."

"You sure put enough energy into finding those two to quit so easily." Pharin noted, still not meeting Shujiri's eyes. That was fine; Shujiri wasn't exactly looking down at him at the moment, anyway.

"There's no other choice. I thought they'd be able to help us by giving us a little insight into what's going on on our enemy's side of things at the moment. I don't want to miss the deadline because of our search and still not have Rine. He may not seem like it, but Rine's still an important part of the group."

"Of the group's wallet, you mean." Pharin amended. He was only half sarcastic.

"Aye, that too." admitted the Assassin Cross with a small smile. "Nobody I've ever met an pull in funds like him. But we need him for the actual fight, too. You know how dangerous a seasoned 'Smith can be, Pharin. You've _seen_ it - not just in him, but in Alex, too. And Alex's skill is just from _one_ life of practice with it."

Pharin mocked a shrug. "Fools and chances, Shu-jeers."

"What?"

"Something my airhead of a master used to say whenever him and Fal-Capone had their fights." Seeing Shujiri about to interrupt, he added, "They didn't have many real fights; most of the time they were debating and knew where the line was for an actual fight. But they're human, you dope; of _course_ they fought sometimes."

Shujiri nodded his understanding and allowed Pharin to continue.

"Anyway, it's something he used to say when they fought. 'Even a fool must sometimes be right by chance'."

Shujiri chuckled.

"Point is, I don't trust it not to be more of a waste than a benefit to spend the rest of the time we have going around looking for the Fruit Fly. What if we find him and he's useless now? He might not even be as good at fund maintenance as he was before. Give it some thought before you make your decision. Do we have time to waste if you're wrong? Whatever they know could potentially help us in a way Rine can't."

"Weren't you all for finding him and dropping the search for Chrnos and Xabel to begin with?"

"Originally. But then I learned things about everybody on the way to this point and I've been thinking..."

"Aye?"

"What's the point in you and me remembering everything if even blondie doesn't? There's got to be something Chrnos sees that we don't. Maybe something about one of us we need to know to get an upper hand in the fight that we don't have now that we could if we talk to them."

Pharin had a point - one he'd pondered once as well. He didn't know the reason for it, but he was sure there was one. Why would the gods send them off on a mission when one of the main people involved didn't remember everything? The more they remembered, the better their odds would be, right?

Shujiri had gone over plausible reasons behind the seeming obliviousness of their friends many times before. When he finally thought he had developed a good theory about it, something would happen that put so many holes in his theory that it became impossible to even pretend that it held any likelihood.

Was it possible that there was something about one or more of the people in their group that would hinder their performance if they remembered everything Shujiri and Pharin did? If so, who could it be, and why? What would they possibly remember that could hurt them?

After a while of silently reflecting on what Pharin had said, Shujiri sighed. "We don't have any leads to go by anymore. We have no way to find them. We can't waste time looking without any clues; you said as much yourself a few times."

"I know." Pharin replied, tone hushed. "I just don't like the feeling of knowing that something's going to happen that we're not ready for. I can feel it in my little birdie bones. Whatever it is, we need to be ready for it. At this rate, we won't be."

Shujiri pushed up against the inn and stood upright again, his eyes moving from the sky to his hands. He wasn't entirely sure, anymore, whether they needed to go after Chrnos or look for Xabel. He did know that his friends would be counting on him to make the call when the time came for them to leave, however.

Pharin shuddered in the breeze as it became stronger, his feathers being ruffled and fussed out of place. It sent a chill up and down his tiny spine and made him stare up at the sky for himself to assess the possibility of the weather changing.

It had started off as such a lovely day, but as they watched the sun slowly creep higher, it was beginning to change directions. ominous clouds hung overhead in the distance, looming threateningly over the horizon with the promise of thunderstorms.

"What are the two of you studying so hard over at this time of day?" a sleepy voice inquired. It broke their attention and they spun to face the fair-skinned blonde that stood in the doorway, a cup of tea nestled in his hands.

"Looks like blondie's awake." Pharin stated dully, flying over to perch on his shoulder for a while.

"Thanks for telling me. I don't think I could have figured it out by myself." Shujiri chuckled, shaking his head.

Zira brought up his left hand and stroked the top of Pharin's head with his first finger. Groggily, he sipped from his cup of tea again before settling into a bench close to Shujiri. He curled his legs up underneath his body and glanced up to the sky, then shivered.

"Ye cold?"

"Hm? Oh, no; I was just trying to figure out what you were talking about. You two seem unnaturally quiet this morning."

"We were trying to figure out what to do." Shujiri replied after a few moments of silence. Perhaps Zira could give some helpful insight on the matter. He knew Zira's instincts were just as good as his, so it was possible that he had a preference for which option to seize first based on that. If so, Shujiri would have to give serious consideration to it.

"Between Rine and Chrnos?"

Blue hair bobbed slightly as Shujiri nodded his affirmative.

Zira sighed, lifting the cup towards his shoulder and letting Pharin steal a small gulp of the tiny ceramic item's contents. Ghebriel was asleep, and he probably would be for a bit longer; Pharin must be hungry by now, so he would just have to share with the little creature for a while.

Silence fell between the three friends for a while. All three lifted their faces to the sky when the first drop of rain landed on Shujiri's nose, and the man stepped back into the shelter of the overhang of the inn's porch. They watched the sky for a bit longer, following the downward path of the raindrops as they began to fall at a faster pace until the light sprinkling turned into an all-out downpour.

The faint roll of thunder in the distance made Zira shiver in discomfort and he drew himself up until he was huddled on the bench as close to Shujiri as he could get without pulling the man down beside him.

Zira didn't need to tug him down, anyway. The Assassin Cross easily recalled Zira's fear of thunder and, although he found it a bit odd for a grown man to be so afraid of something that was pretty much harmless, he couldn't blame him for it, either. Especially after the mishap on _The Black Dragon_. So, he moved around to take a seat beside the blonde and offered his arm to him.

Grateful, Zira smiled at Shujiri and took his arm with his hands, clinging tighter whenever a new clap of thunder sounded.

"It's getting closer." Pharin nodded.

The Filir wanted to kick himself for being so obvious today, but something felt wrong. He couldn't tell what it was, but he felt as if something wasn't right in their little world; he was always a little off-center when that happened. A quick glance at the blonde's face revealed that he, too, seemed to be mentally considering the overall negative feelings that charged the air. Shujiri, being not as in tune with that sort of emotional reading, seemed more or less unscathed.

Silence came once again, and the only sounds to be heard were the rain drops that fell onto the roof and the foliage around the inn and the occasional wild animal scurrying about in the trees nearby. The closer the thunder became, the darker the atmosphere seemed to become until, finally Zira had curled up so close to Shujiri that it was almost impossible for the blue-clad man to move without bumping whatever he moved into him.

"About Chrnos and Rine," Zira began after a while of silence, "What did you have in mind?"

"I was considering just going to find Rine and forgetting about the search for Chrnos."

"Maybe if we-"

"You shouldn't be outside right now." a familiar voice called out in warning, startling the three friends from their discussion.

Shujiri turned his head in the direction the man's voice had come from and smiled when he realized that he did, indeed, recognize it. As a matter of fact, he knew the name of the person it belonged to.

"Amune."

The Soul Linker gave a weak smile as he approached the bench. His violet eyes drifted away from the faces of his two acquaintances and onto the cobblestone. "You need to get inside. It's not safe to be out here at this time of day. Come on, let's go inside and I'll tell you about the attacks."  
**To Be Continued...**


	59. Dwindling Numbers

**Rated:** PG-13  
**Language:** English  
**Categories:** Humour/Adventure  
**Title:** RoChronicles  
**Summary:** Everything fell apart when a dark cloud descended over Rune-Midgard. Will Shujiri, Zira & co be able to stop the evil Satan Morroc and pick up the pieces or are they doomed to fail? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way? m/m, m/f  
**Author's Note: Hey, look, I live! Important Note:** I received a question about Amune in a recent review; he's the Soul Linker of one of my friends, Jesse, who also owns characters like Gambriel and Vladmir. He was first introduced in chapter 28 on board _The Black Dragon_. Anyhow...Another chapter spawned that shouldn't have existed, and all because I've come to despise obscenely long chapters. UGH, I need to get over that. I'm not changing the theme from the past chapter, just because. Let's see how long this story turns out when all is said and done, shall we? Let's see also if you can figure out the name of the song I sort of subtly referenced in the beginning of this chapter. I've got nothing else to add. Go read.

**RoChronicles  
**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-Four: Dwindling Numbers, OR, I Am Running Out of Chapter Titles  
**Once the three men and one homunculus were inside, they stopped by the doorway. Zira was the first to speak, his brows knitted in concern.

"Attacks? What attacks?"

Shujiri frowned. "That must be what the head healer was talking about."

"Head healer? You mean Amadeus?'

A blue brow quirked. "Amadeus?"

"Amadeus is in charge of the orphanage and hospital not too far from here. He also runs the hospital where we were all taken after they finished us out of the water."

"I didn't know there was an orphanage nearby."

"Oh, yes. As a matter of fact, Hughes grew up there."

Pharin would have rolled his eyes if he could. These humans got side tracked so easily!

"Hey, Almond."

"Um, that's Amune-"

"Almond." Pharin restated flatly, staring at the Soul Linker. "You said we shouldn't be out here now. Why?"

The Assassin Cross and High Priest exchanged a look when Amune remained silent.

"What about those attacks?" Pharin asked again, his patience on its last leg.

"You see, the first few days after our rescue were fine. After the third day, though, people started hearing crying and wailing from the water when no one was out there. Now, anyone who goes near the water gets attacked." Amune replied.

"Whispers?" Zira asked softly, eyes turning to Shujiri again.

The taller man shook his head, arms crossed over his chest. "I don't think so. They shouldn't be all the way out here, and they don't really do much when they _do_ attack. If the head-" Blue eyes flickered to Amune, then back to Zira again. "If Amadeus was talking about the same thing Amune is, the attacks are too bad to be something small. He said people who it happened to or who witnessed it are still too afraid to talk about it, remember."

"It _is_ the same thing." Amune confirmed. "My group was the first one attacked. We were about to leave when we heard those sounds. They'd forgotten about me so I was left behind and Bennett came to get me before they left, and by the time we got back..."

"I'm guessing ye didn't have any luck?" ventured Shujiri.

Amune's face fell at this and he looked away, a distraught frown on his lips. "Some of them have been resting since the attack. They're upstairs."

Zira took note of the sudden drop in the man's mood again and placed his hand gently on his shoulder. When he was sure he had his attention, he asked, "You said they were attacked; was anyone badly injured?"

Almond-shaped eyes filled with a heavy sadness turned back to Zira and locked with his brighter cyan ones. The immense weight there dragged Zira's heart down to his stomach and served as the only response necessary.

Although Shujiri wasn't as open to the feelings of people around him as Zira, he could still recognize the look of despair in the smaller man's eyes and the sympathetic look of understanding in the winged blonde's.

"Are they okay? They didn't-?"

"Kurt and Hughes are fine."

It definitely didn't escape Shujiri and Zira's attention that, out of the list of survivors from the shipwreck, Amune had only mentioned two. Three, counting himself. They would have inquired about the slip, but the pale man continued to answer after the brief pause.

"Hughes saw what attacked them and he wasn't really hurt by it; Kurt managed to keep him safe when it started. He's been babbling about something we can't understand since then, though, and whenever we try to talk to him about the incident, he screams and doesn't stop until the healers sedate him. When Bennett and I arrived to help them, we walked in at the end of the attack; we made it there in time to see Kurt fall and Hughes start screaming."

"And the others?"

"Torq's chest was pretty much ripped open. He was almost dead when we got to him, and if we hadn't had that Yggdrasil Leaf with us that Amadeus gave us for emergencies, we couldn't have brought him back when we got to Izlude for them to work on him. He's been out since then."

Shujiri nodded at the grim tidbit of information, but he stayed silent.

It seemed as if Amune had no intention of picking up on the discussion to continue. He moved instead to walk away from them and drifted towards the fireplace. When he stopped, his eyes locked onto the fire that danced on the logs and if he'd heard or felt the approach of the healer and his friend, he gave no sign of it.

Neither wanted to reopen the subject, but something was pressing heavily on their minds. Something was missing. Amune had named four people (five counting himself, Shujiri had to again remind himself.) Where were the other three?

Shujiri nor Zira had to say anything. Pharin spoke for them.

"That's not everybody. What about the others?"

Amune flinched. His lips drew back into a sad grimace. Without facing them, he replied softly, "They're gone."

"They-?"

"No." Amune shook his head slowly, but stopped. The grimace morphed into a confused frown. "Maybe."

"Which is it?"

"I don't know."

Zira shushed the Filir before he could say anything else and passed him to Shujiri, moving forward. Once he was close enough, he placed his hand comfortingly on the thin man's arm and squeezed to pass reassurance to him. Gently, he asked, "I know you probably don't want to talk about this, but, what happened?"

"To Felix, Mavrik and Ghost?"

Zira managed a weak smile at the timid whisper of the Stalker's nickname. "Yes."

"They're just..gone. They were fighting and suddenly-"

A loud, resounding scream of agony and despair rang through the inn and stopped Amune's response. Everyone present jumped, the innkeeper included.

Amune's eyes went wide with recognition. "That's Kurt!"

Suddenly Amune was bounding up the stairs, ignoring the startled cry of Pharin as Zira and Shujiri tagged along behind him. At the landing they caught up to Bennett, who grasped the Soul Linker's wrist in his hand and ran up the rest of the stairs to the second floor, practically dragging Amune behind him. As they flung the doors open, they were greeted by Jeliel, who had sprung from the bed of the room most of the men had shared and raced downstairs to find the source of the disturbance.

"What's going on?!" he shouted over the screams, gaze locked on Shujiri as he waited for an answer.

"Long story we'll have to retell later." their leader said simply, racing after the two _Black Dragon_ survivors.

Down the hall, right, and another right finally found the group, now mostly reunited, outside of the door of room 206. Amune and Bennett pushed in through the crowd that had gathered to see what was wrong, and Shujiri and Zira, following Zira's sense that the crowd was certainly not helping matters, began herding everyone out into the hall. Shujiri gave Jeliel and Jackel a quick promise to explain later and shut the door after giving the specific instruction that no one was allowed to come in unless they were sent for by someone in the room.

Amune was the first to approach Kurt where he lay on the bed, screams still piercing the otherwise silent air. He didn't seem to be hurt, so they didn't need to bring in a healer. Even if they _had_ required one, he was well aware that Shujiri and Zira had come in behind him and knew that the blonde would gladly assist them if necessary. The calming effect of the Priest soothed his frazzled nerves somewhat and gave him courage to continue.

When Amune reached his arm out to Kurt, the Gunslinger at his side tilted his head slightly to see the movement and keep watch. The Soul Linker was on the side that Shujiri and Zira remembered hearing had been blinded, and with Kurt in this state, he might need to grab him away fi the green-haired Assassin Cross suddenly struck at them in confused self-defense.

Nothing happened when Amune slowly pressed his palm onto Kurt's hand, but when he gave it the mildest of squeezes, dark green eyes snapped open and locked onto him.

Even Shujiri was shocked by the amount of despair and pain that filled the watery orbs. He moved forward marginally, his shoulder bumping Zira's. He could feel the slender shoulders shaking slightly and he didn't need to look over to know why. So, he kept his gaze focused on Amune, Bennett, and Kurt and simply settled a comforting hand on the blonde's arm.

The man at Kurt's side gasped under the intense stare directed at him. Kurt was awake, and although Amune was thankful for that small blessing because he shouldn't have been unconscious for so long after the attack had taken place to begin with (considering his injuries hadn't really been too severe,) he was worried over the cause of his screams. Was he awake but reliving the event as Hughes seemed to do when the subject of the attack came up, or did he remember-

Bennett's hand raised his side and lowered down gently over Amune's to form a protective, reassuring cover for the other two's. Although he didn't say anything, Kurt seemed to recognize the meaning of the gesture. However, despite the attempts at comfort made by the two standing over him, Kurt's tears continued to fall.

_He remembers_. Amune confirmed to himself. He felt his heart break at the understanding and gripped the hand he held tighter.

Given the circumstances, Shujiri felt sorely tempted to pluck the homunculus off his shoulder and pass him to someone outside. He had a history of harassing people when they didn't exactly want to be harassed (although, when did anyone ever?) He didn't want the little creature to disrupt what was happening. What stopped him was the knowledge that, so far, Pharin had said nothing about the exchanges going on. He'd been a perfectly silent spectator, so he must have understood the gravity of whatever was happening. Perhaps even more so than _they_ did.

"Kurt," Amune started, his voice soft and his tone gentle, "Don't scream; it's alright. You're safe."

"No!" wailed the short-haired Assassin, dropping his head onto the pillow hard enough to squeeze a feather from it that drifted in the air lazily before beginning a slow descent. "No! "

This word brought Zira and Shujiri to exchange a look, but they said nothing.

"Kurt, the others-"

"Felix! Mavrik! Ghost!"

Amune seemed to hesitate at this. "Kurt-"

This time it was Bennett who tried to calm the man. His free hand came up and gently wiped at the other's tears, drying them for only a split second before more fell and dampened his skin again. The gesture was sweet, but it did nothing to help.

"Gone," Kurt whispered in a voice that was so soft that Shujiri, Zira and Pharin wondered if he had actually said anything at all.

Suddenly, Kurt scurried out from under the covers in one quick move, pressing himself against the headboard. He looked around, frantic. "My- my weapons! My uniform- where-?! Vladie!"

"We had to take you to a healer, Kurt." Amune informed him. "Your weapons are in the top drawer across the room and we sent your uniform to be washed and repaired. You weren't hurt very badly, but it was practically shredded and-"

He stopped when Kurt tried to clamber out of bed and threw his arms around his shoulders to push his weight against him. The Assassin Cross fell back to the bed, Amune over him.

"Ghost- he's out there with that- with them!" Kurt exclaimed, eyes wide as he stared up at Amune. They pleaded with the Soul Linker to let him get up, but when Amune simply shook his head and frowned, he turned his stare to Bennett for assistance. He was met with equal resistance. "Can't leave him out there; not with them! He- Odin, the only family I have-"

"Kurt, you can't do anything in this state."

Green eyes darted to Zira, who had finally spoken up and made his way to the bedside. He recognized him and remembered his name, but the desperate urge to help his brother and friend was to intense to want to spare time addressing him for long.

"Tell them- I need- let me up! He's-"

Zira's hands cupped the tearful Assassin Cross's cheeks gently and he frowned at the warmth he felt. There was _too much _heat there.

"Why is he here? He should still be with the healers." Zira asked, his attention turning onto Amune and Bennett. His tone wasn't accusing; he just needed to know why the feverish man wasn't being cared for by properly trained healers.

"He kept escaping." Amune sighed, frowning as he moved back to allow Zira to take his place.

"But you said he-"

"Wasn't conscious." Amune finished, nodding. He remembered saying that, and it hadn't been a lie at all. "Even unconscious, he kept trying to get away and go back to where it happened. The healers finally relented and let us take him here to rest and finish recovering. They said to bring him in as soon as he woke up, but if he's like this, I don't think we can get him there without him trying to-"

"Don't worry about it." Shujiri eased the Soul Linker's nerves slightly. He nodded towards Zira. "He's no hospital worker, but he's still a healer."

The blonde finished his hushed chanting of Cure and Heal and moved back slightly, his hands still on Kurt's shoulders although much of his weight had been lifted to allow him to move around. He knew he wasn't strong enough to stop him if he tried to throw him off and get up, but it would slow him down enough to let the others catch onto what was happening and stop him, themselves. For now, he only wanted to test and see if his efforts had paid off in calming the hysterical young man.

When Kurt opened his eyes again, they had returned to their usual bright shade, but the sorrow was still present. He stayed quiet, but he also made no move to get up now.

Timidly, Amune reached back out to his friend and crew mate. "Kurt?"

Green eyes moved to Amune's questioningly.

The smaller man was thankful that the fight seemed to have vanished, but he was still wary and concerned. "You were screaming when you woke up; we came to check on you."

Those green orbs faded in colour until they were once again a dull, swampy off-green. The change startled Shujiri and Zira and severely unnerved Amune and Bennett; the crafty youth seemed suddenly to appear exhausted - drained of every ounce of energy or will to do anything at all.

Timidly, Amune cleared his throat. "K- Kurt?"

"Mavrik.."

"Yes."

"He's gone."

Amune nodded.

"And Felix?"

Swallowing nervously, blonde hair bobbed slightly when Amune nodded.

Silence ensued the confirmation, although judging from Kurt's voice when he had spoken, the tone flat and empty, it seemed that the inquiry had been rhetorical - almost more of a statement to himself than a question at all, really. As the silence stretched, the people gathered around the bed found themselves grasping at straws for something, anything, that they could say to break the eerie quiet that was interrupted only by the storm outside as it rolled in.

"And Ghost."

the comment was barely a whisper, but it held so many layers of guilt and anguish behind it.

_Three of us. There are so few of us left already._

_Three of my best friends._

_We couldn't save them._

_I couldn't save them._

_We failed._

**_I _**_failed._

Numbly, Amune nodded again.

Bennett clamped a hand onto the Soul Linker's shoulder and shot a glance back towards Shujiri and Zira. When his eyes settled on Amune again, his lips seemed to tilt ever so slightly downward from the tight, thin line they had been up until now. His meaning was clear enough, even to the other men and the homunculus in the room.

_I'll stay with Kurt. Go calm down a little and then come back when you feel better_.

A weak smile was Amune's thanks; he didn't have much let in him for anything else. He hurriedly made his way back to Shujiri and Zira and the three, along with Pharin, left the room.

They were thankful that the crowd seemed to have dispersed. The only ones who stood there now were Jackel, Jeliel, and Alex, Dmitri, Sahari, and Lady Lana were likely to still be resting since it was still early, and as for Falcone and Ghebriel...

"What's going on?" Alex asked, a frown on his lips when he noted that Zira and Amune both seemed like they'd been crying already. His eyes shot to Shujiri and, seeing the morose expression on his face, he steeled himself for bad news.

The pair exchanged a look and then glanced to Amune, seeking silent permission to explain. Instead, he answered for them, voice shaky but no longer as tight and close to tears as before.

"There have been attacks close to the water for t he last few days. No one that's been attacked has been in any shape to say anything, and those that are seem almost crazed when the subject is brought up - screaming, crying, ranting about things that don't make sense."

Alex nodded, waiting patiently for the smaller man to compose himself and continue.

"We were getting ready to leave the first time it happened. They forgot about me, though, so Bennett came to get me. When we got back, Kurt was unconscious and Hughes was as good as crazy. He's fine now, unless someone mentions what happened. Torq was in bad shape, but he's doing a little better now, too. As for Felix, Mavrik and Gh-" Amune paused and gave the others an apologetic look, remembering that they may not recall the nickname as well as the Stalker's real one. "Vladmir..."

"Yes?"

"The only thing we've managed to worm out of Hughes has been that they saw three.._things_ come up seemingly out of nowhere and grab them. They couldn't fight them off, and the others were fighting a losing battle; those _things_ dragged them off, kicking and screaming, and then suddenly everything was quiet. By the time Bennett and I got there, their disappearance and the bodies on the ground were the only proof anything had ever happened."

Jeliel scowled. "Why would they take them alive and try to kill everybody else?"

Amune shook his head, wishing desperately that Kurt could just fall asleep and let Bennett come out to stand with him through the questions for a while. "I don't know. _We_ don't know. There's been nothing to suggest there's any reason behind the attacks; they just..happen. We don't know what the things are that are doing it, and we don't know why. All we know is that it happens every day without fail at the same time."

"Strange.." Alex remarked.

"Sure ain't normal."Jackel agreed, one hand on his hip. "Ain'tno way'a findin' out what's goin' on without goin' down to see it ourselves."

Shujiri winced. He knew Jackel was right, and they were all on a very tight schedule to find Rine now as it was. They probably couldn't afford the time to investigate and even if they did, who knew what would happen? Would they end up in the same state as the survivors of _The Black Dragon_ - half dead and nearly insane?

This time, Shujiri's cringe was visible. He tried to stave off the mental image of being in Kurt's place and losing some of his comrades, but it came regardless, unbidden. Just _thinking_ about staring at some nameless, shapeless enemy, helpless as it dragged away his best friend or the woman he'd found himself falling for...It was enough to make him reach out and clasp his fingers around the healer's thin wrist just to be sure it had, indeed, been only his painfully overactive imagination.

He thought back to the despair that had been evident in Kurt's eyes when he had awoken, delirious. Then he went back to the way the man who had seemed so boisterous when they'd first met deflated when he came back to reality and accepted that two of his friends and his brother (_The only family he had,_ Shujiri remembered hearing him cry,) had been taken and that he would likely never see them again...

Shujiri sighed. They owed these people more than sympathy, an apology, and a departure; although they weren't the sort of friends that would take off with them to fight for the world (they hadn't been involved, and although he would desperately love the help they could provide, he wasn't about to ask those innocent people to put their lives on the line for a fight that was never theirs to begin with) they were still friends, nonetheless.

"We'll have to do just that, then." Shujiri finally said after a few minutes of silence had passed. He took a moment to take in the expressions on his friends' faces and couldn't help the small smile that came up at what he saw.

Although Jeliel stood with his arms crossed over his chest and quirked a brow at the declaration, he said nothing to indicate that he wanted no part of it. He did, however, seem to have had the same terrible vision Shujiri had, because at some point in the conversation he had shifted closer to the blonde until their arms brushed.

Alex, smirking, said not a word. Hands on his hips, he seemed more than ready to find out what was going on.

He chuckled at the grin Jackel sported. More than his usual expression of cheerful merriment, this one he recognized as the itch to give his massive arsenal a workout. Obviously, then, he was up for the task.

Even Zira was smiling, although his was a bit weaker. He was certainly not about to back out of the party-appointed mission, but that didn't stop him from feeling uneasy about the whole situation. The blue-eyed man leaned just slightly until he was nestled against the side of the High Wizard beside him, letting the taller man slide one reassuring arm around his waist.

Well, given his luck through their journey so far, Shujiri supposed he couldn't blame him for being nervous; their enemies seemed to have a penchant for picking on the weaker members of the group, and all too often that included the two clerics.

Satisfied, the Assassin pondered the disposition of the rest of the group. He doubted very much that Lana, Sahari, and Dmitri would argue, either. All that was left was Falcone and Ghebriel, and he found that he was reluctant to pull them away from each other and the honeymoon they would surely be happily occupied with.

_Let them enjoy the break for a while. Two less people to worry about, at any rate._ he decided easily. _But that means Pharin stays here, too_.

As though sensing Shujiri's inner conversation with himself, Pharin pecked the man on the cheek just hard enough to rouse him from his thoughts and flew off. The blue-haired Assassin understood it to mean that they wouldn't see the little Filir again until the situation had been taken care of.

"So what are we waiting for?" Alex prodded.

Amune, finally finding his voice after the initial shock of Shujiri's decision, squeaked in fear for his newest friends. "You can't!" he tried to beg, eyes wide as he frowned deeply at the men before him. "You'll get hurt and end up like everyone else; I don't want to see that happen to any of you. You're too kind for that."

"If this is posing such a danger to everybody, it needs to be stopped. We've had a few close calls so far, but we're still here to talk about 'em." Shujiri reassured the short-haired blonde. "You go back in with Bennett and keep him and Kurt company. We're gonna go get the others and see what we can do."

"The others-?" Amune muttered weakly. "You don't mean you're going to take the little girl, too?!"

"If she wants to go." Shujiri shrugged. "I'd rather keep her here where it's safe, but I know her. If she's got her mind set to go with us, she'll go even if she has to Cloak and hitch a ride on one of us."

Slapping his hand to his forehead, Amune ruffled his bangs and inhaled deeply. His eyes slid shut and he felt a mild tremor quake through his body, but it wasn't from the chill of the wind that howled outside. "Please, be careful?" he pleaded gently.

"Of course." Shujiri promised. He gave Amune a small smile and squeezed his shoulder. "We'll be careful. We're leaving Falcone and Ghebriel here with Pharin, though; they got married yesterday and I don't want to interrupt the celebration."

The smile Amune gave assured Shujiri that he was okay for now, and wouldn't try to hold them back again. With a final word of encouragement from Zira, he ventured back into Kurt's room and left the friends in the hall.

"Well, let's go get the others. If we don't get there soon, we might have to wait until tomorrow to do this."  
**To Be Continued...**


End file.
